Many people do not realize just how easily con artists can get valuable personal information without having to break into our homes. In public places, these criminals may engage in "shoulder surfing" where they will watch you from a nearby location as you punch in your telephone number or credit card number. Use password wisely - those not easily identified by making it remotely related to you. 3. Be wary of strangers in the house by limiting their access to private information you are keeping. 4. Know the people handling your records in the office/workplace. Make sure to verify how they dispose private information and rule out carelessness in exchanging or disclosing them to other people. Seems tedious yes but if your wallet is stolen, all your valuable numbers are left vulnerable to unscrupulous thieves who can compromise your identity. A much simpler way of protecting yourself against identity theft through your social security number is by simply being careful when giving it away. Remember that mostly, only government agencies have the right to ask for your social security number. Try to report any discrepancies immediately to the authorities. You can even have your account temporarily blocked in order to prevent further losses. Do not forget to report it to the fraud agencies in your area so that everything can be done to apprehend and arrest the offenders as early as possible. Leave you check book or check register in a safe place in your home or office. Never carry your check book or check register with you when you go out. If you must carry a check, then just bring one or two blank checks in your wallet. There have been many reported cases of identity number theft stemming from stolen check books. Ten months later, Frank, of Laguna Niguel, California, had a creditor call him about "her" outstanding debt and it was a lot, a huge lot, including payments for a red convertible that she apparently bought. What is more, the culprit found Frank's business cards and even impersonated her. Frank got weak in the knees and really dizzy when she heard the shocking, almost surreal news.