Today, we’ll show you three ways to help avoid identity theft.

Did you know that over 10 million Americans have been victims of identity theft.? In most of these cases, identity theft involved credit card fraud.

So how do you protect yourself? Here are three simple ways:

First, protect your social security number. Criminals can use it to open credit cards or bank accounts to make fraudulent transactions. Keep it in a safe location like you keep your passport and the deed to your house, and never keep it in your wallet. If your wallet is lost or stolen, you’ve got real problems. And be extra-careful about giving out your social security number. For example, if you’re opening an account with the phone company, and they ask for your social security number, ask if they’ll take your driver’s license or your state ID card instead.

Second, monitor your credit. Criminals who steal your identity will try to open credit cards, store cards, and gas cards in your name, and stick you with the bills. Credit monitoring helps you spot this problem early on. If a thief tries to get credit using your identity, it’s likely to show up on your credit report.

How do you monitor your credit? Start by getting a free annual credit report from all three credit bureaus - Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

You can also sign up for a credit monitoring service. For a small fee, all three credit bureaus will notify you whenever changes are posted to your credit report. You can do this yourself, but you need to check in with each credit bureau about once a month so you can spot any problems early on.

Finally, shred first, and then toss. To find personal information, thieves will pick through your trash. So never throw away your old tax returns, credit card offers or financial statements unless you shred them first. These documents have your name and address, your date of birth, your social security number - all that’s needed to commit identity theft. Spending a few dollars on a shredder now could save you thousands of dollars - and a lot of headaches - in the future.

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