Only two forms of ID are required: a driver's license with a picture ID and a second identification, like another credit card or your Social Security card. What steps should you take to protect your identity with credit cards? Ask stores at which you are applying for credit how they safeguard credit applications. Yes they may deny you their services if you don't comply but there's no reason for you to choose establishments that force you to compromise your security and cause you to be vulnerable to identity theft. Your best protection against identity theft is caution and knowledge. Know your rights. Know the rules and regulations that are out there that should protect you and keep abreast of the dos and don'ts of giving away sensitive information like your social security number. In recent years, the Internet has become the perfect place for criminals to obtain personal data, such as passwords or even banking information. In their haste to explore the exciting features of the Internet, many people respond to "spam" unsolicited E-mail that promises them some benefit but requests identifying data, without realizing that in many cases, the requester has no intention of keeping his promise. It can be as easy as calling your own credit card issuer to change your billing address once they get hole of your credit card information. The impostor can then run charges on your account without you even knowing it because your bills are being sent to a different address. With your stolen credit information in the wrong hands, impostors may also be able to open new credit card accounts in your own name. Most guides on preventing identity theft focus on steps consumers can take, such as shredding their trash and protecting their SSN. But realistically, while these steps reduce the risk of becoming a victim, there is little individuals can do to actually prevent identity theft. True prevention resides in two arenas the adoption of more effective application-screening procedures by the credit industry and the implementation of responsible information-handling practices by employers. The existence of the track records, innocently created by simple browsing, enables crime makers to intervene through your codes to your local computer. On the contrary, reputable sites leave scripts for a simple reason of making the browsing convenient to returning visitors. Identity theft cases are just a few consequences of online presence.