8 signs you may know an identity thief

Foley said that family and friends owe it to each other to "spread the word, quietly" if they've been victimized, so that others the thief knows can check their credit reports and otherwise secure their finances.

She also recommends filing a police report, a step many family and friends are reluctant to take because it may lead to the thief's arrest and conviction. Without a police report, most creditors won't remove the black marks from your credit reports. Besides, a little tough love may be the only way to stop a miscreant from becoming a career criminal.

"Maybe you're giving a gift," Foley said, "in helping them get the help that they need."

The stranger with access. Even otherwise nice people can tolerate some truly scummy people in their lives. Your dear housekeeper may be married to a con artist, or your beloved son may bring home a friend who's decided that theft beats working for a living.

Likewise, you may open your doors to an identity thief when you throw a party or have work done on your home.

Shut the door on identity theft

At this point, you might be tempted to bar your doors, bury your credit cards in the cellar and hook people up to a lie detector like Robert De Niro's character in "Meet the Parents." All that might be a slight overreaction.

So what can you do if you suspect someone you know may not be trustworthy? The identity-theft experts offered these ideas:

• Lock it up. Use locking filing cabinets for your financial paperwork and throw your checkbook in there, too. Keep the files locked any time you're not actually using them.

• Password protect your computer and any financial files contained inside. Change the passwords often. (And -- just in case it's not obvious already -- don't put the password on a sticky note attached to the screen.)

• Don't give anyone else your credit or debit cards or PINs. If you've already made this mistake, call the issuer to issue a new card and change the PIN.

• Have "the talk" with your kids. Your children need to know the importance of good credit, and the terrible problems that can result from late payments, collections and other fall-out from identity theft.

• Be cautious who you ask to housesit or pick up your mail when you're on vacation. A housesitter can rummage through your files; neighbors can swipe your statements and convenience checks. You can ask the post office to hold your mail, or you can switch to banking solely online. (See "Go paperless for safer banking.")

• Monitor your accounts online. Everybody should check their monthly statements to make sure their accounts haven't been hijacked, but those who had online access to their accounts often detected theft faster, the Javelin study found. Checking in at least once a week is a good idea if you have reason to suspect you're at risk.

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• Pull your credit reports more often. It's a good idea to check your reports at all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) at least twice a year. You're entitled to one free report from each every year. If you suspect an identity thief is in your midst, even more frequent checks might be in order. (By the way, checking your own credit reports won't hurt your credit scores, the three-digit numbers lenders use to gauge your credit-worthiness.)

Liz Pulliam Weston's new book, "Easy Money: How to Simplify Your Finances and Get What You Want Out of Life," is now available. Columns by Weston, the Web's most-read personal-finance writer and winner of the 2007 Clarion Award for online journalism, appear every Monday and Thursday, exclusively on MSN Money. She also answers reader questions on the Your Money message board.

Updated Dec. 21, 2007

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