Avoiding identity theft by protecting mail

If you’ve ever had your identity stolen, you know that it is one of the biggest hassles ever.

For me, it happened in college and it took months to get everything back in order. I lost hundreds of dollars that I never got back, and I had to micromanage almost every account I had made up to that point in my life.

In the age of online banking and data traveling at the speed of light, it’s easy to forget that one of the more common means of identity theft can happen on the road right outside of your house.

Identity thieves can steal important documents straight out of your mailbox overnight and end up with a considerable amount of information about you, in many cases enough to become you.

According to the United States Postal Service, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States.

“Once your personal information is in the hands of a scammer, you could lose your money, your good credit rating and your overall financial health,” reads a warning from the USPS website.

Along with the warning is a list of tips that could prove helpful for securing your mail and avoiding a personal attack.

Outgoing mail should be deposited in your mailbox before collection time. This can be done in the morning before the mail comes or, if that opportunity is missed and it’s urgent, take the mail directly to the post office.

Credit cards sent through the mail, provided you requested the card, should be signed immediately. If you’ve applied for a card and never received it, the bank or institution that you applied with should be contacted as soon as possible.

Keep track of credit card expiration dates. In general, credit companies and banks send out new cards before your current card is expired. If you don’t receive one in time then the institution should be contacted immediately.

Leave your social security card and birth certificate at home unless you absolutely need them.

Monitor your credit reports at least annually.

Lastly, and this is something I say a lot in this column and is iterated twice in the tips from USPS, never share your personal information unless you are sure of legitimacy.