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I’ve heard so much about identity theft, and it scares me to think that I could wake up tomorrow and my bank account could be cleaned out, my credit report could be ruined and my life could be set into a horrible mess. But I’ve learned a lot of ways to prevent a thief from robbing me blind, and here are some f the best things I’ve found to protect yourself.

First, make sure you are on the government’s Do Not Call list, and not just your home phone. Be sure to add in all mobile phones in your household. You can add the numbers at www.donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222.

Second, check your credit report at least once a year. This can be done through a variety of ways, but do not go for those ‘free credit report’ scams where you have to sign up for a service in order to view your credit report. You can get your credit report for free once a year without signing up for anything. To get your no-strings-attached report, visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com. You absolutely MUST check your credit at least once per year. You must also make sure that you report any problems to get them corrected. If you are really worried about keeping your credit report completely safe, don’t pay for a monthly service to protect your credit until you understand what you are paying for. Most of the things a credit protection service charges you for, you can do yourself. For more information, see the resources at the end of this article.

Avoid giving to charities you aren’t familiar with, and if you are interested in giving to a new charity, check them out with the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance at www.give.org. Scam charities are more common than you might think, and some are sophisticated with call centers, web sites and professional presentations.

Be aware what ‘phishing’ is online and also how it’s now being done with text messages. This all falls under the concept of ’social engineering’ and it’s the most insidious and unfortunately, effective tools that identity thieves have to steal financial information and use it to wipe out your bank account. It’s a deep subject which can’t be covered in one article, so if you need more information, check out the resources at the end of the article.

You can prevent someone stealing your information from old bills and mail by using a cross cut shredder. The most important documents to shred are anything with a name, account number, address or phone number.

Use Opt-Out options whenever possible. This means to opt out of junk mail, mortgage company offers, and especially credit card offers. When you get a policy update notice from one of your accounts, say a credit card, don’t just take the lazy way out and toss it aside. You don’t have to read every word, but you should at the very least look to see if there is some action required by you. This would be a form to fill out or some return information on the letter. This often means that if you don’t respond, you may be automatically agreeing to whatever is in the letter, and if that’s the case, you should know what you are agreeing g to.

One of the most important issues that is rarely discussed is not to put outgoing mail in your mailbox, especially if your mailbox is next to the street. It’s easy for a criminal to cruise down a suburban street and see all of the cars gone and all of the little red flags on the mailboxes up. There’s a pretty good chance that a lot of those little red flags mean there are checks and account numbers sitting there, unguarded, and all they have to do is drive by and grab them. Send any outgoing mail in a standalone post office box if possible, or drop it off at the post office.

Watch out for change of address notifications. A thief can fill out a change of address card in an attempt to divert important mail to another address. Some companies will alert you when this happens; some won’t.

Your best offense against having your identity stolen is education, and then, diligent prevention. There are simple things you can do that aren’t expensive to protect yourself.