Hi everyone and welcome back to Money Girls Quick and Dirty Tips for a richer life.

On Laura Adams.

Identity theft is a growing crime that affects 1 in 20 Americans.

So in this podcast I'll give you 8 smart tips for preventing it.

On the blog at moneygirl.

Quick and Dirty Tips.com, I've included some bonus audio.

It's an interview with John Cilio, an identity theft expert an author.

You won't want to miss my conversation with him

about how identity theft cost him over $300,000,

destroyed his business, and almost landed him in jail.

Even though identity monitoring services can't eliminate fraud,

John recommends a service that you've probably never heard of.

His experience is a good reminder

that almost half of the worst identity crimes

are committed by people the victim knows.

To make sure you don't become a victim of identity theft, here are eight important tips to follow.

Tip number one, carry less data.

If you don't carry sensitive information in your wallet or purse, it can't be taken from you.

So pair down what you carry to the bare essentials and do it right now.

You should never carry your Social Security card because you don't need it on an everyday basis.

Eliminate paper checks from your wallet and use a debit or credit card to pay for things instead.

Debit cards aren't as safe as credit cards but they're much safer than paper checks.

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