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Safeguarding Your Financial Information and Identity

Watch Your Mailbox This Month

January and February are prime identity theft months. Why? Employers, banks, and financial institutions send year-end statements to their clients and customers for tax purposes. Since those documents are needed for completing your taxes, they contain a massive amount of personal information: Account numbers, Social Security numbers, etc. Many identity thieves still pursue their “trade” the old fashioned way: Looking through trash and stealing mail from mailboxes.

Check your mailbox every day, and if you will be away, have a neighbor collect your mail (or ask the post office to hold your mail until you return). In addition, keep a close eye on your credit report, this month and every month. The best defense against identity theft is a good offense.