Increase in Identity Theft around the Holidays

The Identity Theft Resource Center says it gets more calls about lost and stolen wallets around the holiday season than any other time of year. The resource center offers some tips about protecting one's identity. Here are two tips I hadn't thought of:

Debit cards: Debit cards are not credit cards, rather they are a direct link to your bank account and electronically transfer money immediately to the merchant. If you want to use debit cards, link them to a bank account with a small amount of money in it, and not to your only bank account. If the card has a VISA or Mastercard logo on it the thief can use it without a PIN. If stolen, it could be difficult to prove you didn't make the purchase when you were in the same mall that day.

Check writing: ITRC recommends that you leave checks at home and only use them to pay bills. Write checks with a gel pen with specially formulated ink that absorbs into the paper fibers or one with non-erasable ink. This makes it harder for a thief to alter the check.