Dear Reader June 2011

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Protect Yourself! No, I am not speaking about sanitation or using Universal Precautions, but rather identity theft. Did you know the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates as many as nine million Americans have their identities stolen every year? Chances are it has either happened to you or someone you know.

I realize this may seem like an odd topic for me to write about because certainly it has no direct connection with our Causes of Aging theme this month. However, in the past week I have heard or read about several instances of identity theft in one form or another. Therefore, it has been heavy on my mind and seemed worthy of sharing.

If I have said it once… Well, I have said it far more than once. We do not live in the same world we used too. In many instances that is a good thing, in others, not so much. When you get out of your car or go to bed each night, I bet you check to make sure all locks are secured. And when you leave the house in the morning, I doubt you put out a sign that says precious jewels in the top right-hand drawer and I will be out until 6 p.m. Who would ever dream of such a thing?

Yet, I am equally as confident that many of you do just that in some fashion without giving it a second thought. Now, I know you probably think I have lost it. But think about this. Have you ever:

Left your wallet/purse in your car, while you just ran in somewhere? (It will only take a minute, you thought.)
Had checks delivered to your home mailbox? (Better still if they have your DL# and/or SSN printed on them.)
Tossed those annoying “Pre-Approved Credit Card” letters in the trash without destroying them?
Saved a list of passwords in your computer? (There are too many to remember.)
Bookmarked your financial institution’s website and clicked the “Remember
Me” box?
Left your credit card number on file with a “trusted” vendor?
Have a profile and share personal information on social networking sites? (Oh right, only your “Friends” can see your information. How well do you know James, the kid you sat next to in your high school Spanish class 20+ years ago?)

If you answered yes to any of the above questions and you have been fortunate enough to avoid identity theft thus far, it is likely only a matter of time. Your identity is in fact a precious jewel, and that jewel can be taken from you in an instant. It is so easy to forget when you are in the comfort of your nice, secure house that every time you jump on the Internet you are no longer at home. You are now on the World Wide Web. If you are not a predator or thief, chances are you do not think like one. So these habits and conveniences seem inconsequential, all the way up until they are not.

Treat your personal identifiers as though they were the rarest of diamonds and as vogue as it may be to let the world know you are on vacation in some glorious locale, think twice. If you would not post a sign in your front yard, maybe you should not post it on the Internet. I could go on and on about this topic as I have watched it repeat itself time and again, but space constraints cause me to pause here. So, I will end with this, Be Smart!

For more information about avoiding identity theft, go to http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/index.html.

Until Next Month,