![1. Watch Your Back](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief.jpg)
1. Watch Your Back
In line at the grocery store, I’ll hold my smartphone like I’m looking at the screen and snap a picture of your card as you’re using it. Next thing you know, I’m ordering things online-on your dime.
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![2. Don't Wait](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_2.jpg)
2. Don’t Wait
Check your bank and credit card balances online at least once a week. I can do a lot of damage in the 30 days between paper statements.
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![3. Late Bills Aren't Always a Good Thing](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_3.jpg)
3. Late Bills Aren’t Always a Good Thing
If a bill doesn’t show up when it’s supposed to, avoid breathing a sigh of relief. Start to wonder if your mail has been stolen.
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![4. That's Me...](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_4.jpg)
4. That’s Me…
…driving through your neighborhood at 3 a.m. on trash day. I fill my trunk with bags of garbage from different houses, then sort later.
You throw away the darnedest things-preapproved credit card applications, old bills, expired credit cards, checking account deposit slips, and crumpled-up job or loan applications with all your personal information. It’s why you should always shred these before you throw them out.
![5. Walk Away](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_5.jpg)
5. Walk Away
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![6. It's Easy](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_6.jpg)
6. It’s Easy
A helpful hint: I’d never use a credit card with a picture on it.
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![7. It's Easy to Impersonate You](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_7.jpg)
7. It’s Easy to Impersonate You
I can call the electric company, pose as you, and say, “Hey, I thought I paid this bill. I can’t remember-did I use my Visa or MasterCard? Can you read me back that number?” I have to be in character, but it’s unbelievable what they’ll tell me.
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![8. Thank You!](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_8.jpg)
8. Thank You!
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![9. Your Unlocked Mailbox is a Gold Mine](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_9.jpg)
9. Your Unlocked Mailbox is a Gold Mine
I can steal your account numbers, use the convenience checks that come with your credit card statement, and send in pre-approved credit offers to get a card in your name. Stealing mail is easy. Sometimes, I act like I’m delivering flyers. Other times, I just stand there and riffle through it. If I don’t look suspicious, your neighbors just think I’m a friend picking up your mail.
(Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock)
![10. The More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_10.jpg)
10. The More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same
Even with all the new technology, most of us still steal your information the old-fashioned way: by swiping your wallet or purse, going through your mail, or dumpster diving.
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![11. I Dig through Dumpsters](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_11.jpg)
11. I Dig through Dumpsters
If anyone asks (and no one does), I just say my girlfriend lost her ring, or that I may have thrown my keys away by mistake.
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![12. The Easiest Online Targets Often Use...](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_12.jpg)
12. The Easiest Online Targets Often Use…
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![13. It's Safer (for me) in Public](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_13.jpg)
13. It’s Safer (for me) in Public
I never use my home computer to buy something with a credit card that isn’t mine. That’s why you can often find me at the public library.
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![14. It Pays to Pay Attention](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_14.jpg)
14. It Pays to Pay Attention
If you use the same ATM every time, you’re a lot more likely to notice if something changes on the machine, like the skimmer I installed.
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![15. Sometimes I Pose as a Salesman](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_15.jpg)
15. Sometimes I Pose as a Salesman
I go into a small office, and after I make my pitch, I ask the secretary to make me a copy. Since most women leave their purses on the floor by their chairs, as soon as they leave the room, I grab their wallet. I also check the top and bottom right-hand drawers of their desks, where I often find company checks.
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![16. How Much Does your Information Cost?](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_16.jpg)
16. How Much Does your Information Cost?
I can buy stolen account information-your name, address, credit card number, and more-for $10 to $50 per account from hackers who advertise on more than a dozen black market web sites.
(Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock )
![17. It's Dumb of You, but...](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_17.jpg)
17. It’s Dumb of You, but…
…thanks for writing your PIN number on that little slip of paper in your wallet. I feel like I just won the lottery.
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![18. Convenience Has a Cost](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_18.jpg)
18. Convenience Has a Cost
Sure, it may be nice not to have to put in your password when you use an unsecured Wi-Fi connection. But know this: We have software that can scoop up all the data your computer transmits, including your passwords and other sensitive information.
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![19. That Red Flag Alerts the Mailman](https://www.readersdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/id_thief_19.jpg)
19. That Red Flag Alerts the Mailman
But it also tells me that you have outgoing mail. And that can mean credit card numbers and checks I can reproduce.
Sources: Former identity thieves in Kentucky, Florida, Indiana, Virginia, and New York.
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