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Identity theft is one of fastest growing crimes in the United States. The loss of your personal identity is not only financially devastating, it is frightening and violating.

Unfortunately, this is only getting more common with the widespread use of the internet. We think nothing of providing our bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and even social security numbers to sites online. What we rarely think of, though, is how far and wide those supposedly private numbers are traveling.

We are often lulled into a sense of security and believe that all of our personal information will make it to the proper destination. It is only too easy, though, for this information to be acquired by criminals.

There are ways to prevent this interception, and it begins with you and the way you expose your information.

Do you know how information gets stolen? Do you know the risky behaviors that can lead to theft? Take, for instance, automatic payments. These are popular because they’re so easy, fast, and convenient. But can they lead to identity theft?

They can. Thieves are easily able to intercept your banking information, and once they have this, they are able to begin making purchases with your money.

If you have ever used an e-check to purchase something, you know that everything you need to make a purchase is on that check. This is a gigantic risk that can be avoided by limiting check usage to in-store purchases only.

Online bill payment through secure websites, rather than using checks, will also cut down on a criminal?s chance to steal your information.

Secondly, when the economy is in terrible shape people will become desperate. Identity theft can spike tremendously, and there is no time better to protect yourself.

The internet is not the only way criminals to access information. They can also do it the old-fashioned way and dig through trash. This is a very common means of obtaining information, so be careful what you throw away.

Credit card and bank statements are gold to identity thieves. They contain all the information they need to make purchases, apply for more cards, and more. Before you throw anything of this nature away, shred it. The few seconds you spend on this are well worth it to protect your identity and privacy.

Before you enter in any personal or financial information online, make sure the site is secure. Look for the lock icon on the address bar that indicates a safe site. You should also be diligent about checking credit card and bank statements, as well as your credit report. This way, you can keep on top of any changes.

This is will keep you aware of any deviations in your score and your spending. A free credit report is available to you annually, and for a minimal monthly fee you can receive a credit report that is updated monthly and notifies you when credit report changes occur.

Keep a list of secure sites you use, whether they are vendors, creditors, or banks. If you notice a change in your statement or an unauthorized charge, you can contact them immediately so the damage is mitigated. It is possible to protect your identity but it takes some effort and knowledge on your part.

Here are these excellent locations to begin exploring identity theft history. You can also easily review websites such as the helpful free credit report website.