But you can take some steps to protect yourself. Never leave your card or receipts lying around, and destroy all carbons and incorrect receipts. Avoid signing blank receipts. Keep a record of your card numbers, their expiration dates, and the phone numbers and addresses of each creditor, in a secure place.

Report any questionable or fraudulent charges to the card promptly and in writing. Never give your account numbers to anyone over the telephone, unless you initiated the call and are sure about the person on the other end.

You should save your receipts to compare with your billing statements, then shred them when you’re done. Be sure to carry your credit cards separate from your wallet, so that if your wallet is stolen, your cards won’t be. You should only carry the cards you’ll need when you need them, not on a daily basis.

If your card is stolen, call the card issuer immediately, then follow up with a letter. Keep a copy of the letter for your records. The letter should include your name, account number, the date you noticed your card missing, and the date you phoned the creditor to report the card missing.

Remember: federal law states that if your credit card is used without authorization before you report it missing, the most you will be liable to pay is $50.

If you suspect fraud, you must contact the card issuer within 60 days after the first bill on which the chard appeared is sent. Call, then follow up with a letter. Include your name, account number, the dollar amount of the suspect charge, a description of the charge, and an explanation of why you believe it is an error.

You should also check out LifeLock’s WalletLock™ service. The service will provide a LifeLock representative to work with you on replacing the contents of your wallet, should it ever be lost or stolen. Stolen wallets are just another way a criminal gets his hands on your credit card information, and LifeLock can help you get things back in order.

Receive 30 days free and get a 10 percent discount on enrollment with the LifeLock Promo Code “Defense.”

You can reduce your risk for identity theft significantly by signing up for LifeLock’s protective services. LifeLock can actively monitor the internet to make sure you are not at risk, check for the illegal buying or selling of your personal information, and help with recovery should you fall victim to identity theft.

If your wallet or purse is stolen, you don’t have to panic – not if you are a LifeLock customer.

With LifeLock’s WalletLock™, a specialist will assist you in cancelling and replacing all the lost contents of your wallet. The service costs only $10 a month as part of LifeLock’s regular identity theft protection.
Or for $15 per month, you can register for LifeLock Command Center, which will increase your protection to include not only eRecon™, which scans the internet making sure your information is safe and alerts you if there’s any suspicious activity, TrueAddress™, which safeguards you against any unauthorized address changes, and LifeLock’s Personal Breach Detection™ Services, which will protect you against accidental personal information disclosures.

Information breaches have made headlines in recent months at universities, hospitals and corporations all over America as hackers have gotten personal information from customer databases. As a customer of LifeLock Personal Breach Detection™ Services, you can breathe easy, knowing that if this sort of thing ever happened, even if by accident, you would be alerted immediately.

And remember, if you ever fall victim to identity theft while a customer, LifeLock’s $1 Million Total Service Guarantee will help fix the problem and restore your good name, even if it costs up to $1,000,000.

Receive 30 days free and get a 10% discount on enrollment with the LifeLock Promo Code “Defense.”

Visit their website now to learn more about WalletLock™ and other LifeLock tools and strategies. Sign up using the LifeLock promotion code Defense and get LifeLock for only $9 a month.

Pickpockets and purse snatchers love this time of year. Shoppers pack the malls and stores. Parking lots are jammed. Seasonal events bring hordes of celebrants to parades, festivals, concerts and church services. And crowds are the ideal environment for these lowlifes.

Before you venture out into the holiday madness, take the time to prepare and protect yourself with a few simple steps.

The important thing to remember is most thieves aren’t especially interested in the few bucks you have in your wallet. The bonanza is in the personal information you’re carrying that will let them steal your identity—that’s where the big bucks are!

Men: Clean out your wallets. You need only one credit card; leave the rest locked up at home. Ditto for your insurance cards Never, NEVER take your Social Security card with you. Now, move your wallet from your back pocket to your front pocket where you’re certain to notice even the most nimble hand reaching for your wallet. If even the threat of a pickpocket isn’t enough to make you change your ways, think of your appearance; that lump on your backside is not a good look for you.

Women: Clean out your wallets. You don’t need to put your checkbook in your purse, either. If you want to pay by check, take only a check or two with you. Keep your purse zipped or buckled up. Carry it close to your body not dangling from your hand or elbow. Don’t drape the strap over your shoulder and let your purse hang behind your arm. For women willing to quell their vanity, a fanny pack is the safest option.

Parking lot safety: Lots of malls post security guards near the exits; ask one to walk you to your car. If you see a mall security car driving by, flag it down and ask to be followed to your car. No guards in sight? Ask another gift-laden shopper to watch you walk to your car. For good karma, offer to do the same for other shoppers heading out into the dark.

The riskiest time is when you’ve reached your car. DO NOT toss your purse into the front seat then walk away from it to load your trunk. Keep your purse with you.

These rules apply to gas stations, too. It’s so easy for a thief to snatch your purse from the front seat while you’re outside pumping gas. Take your keys from the ignition and lock the car.

The biggest threat is in that lump in your back pocket, or in the purse you sling over your shoulder every day. It’s your wallet, and wallets are lost and stolen every day.

Once a thief has your wallet, your identity can become his. Credit cards, checkbook, bankcards, driver’s license, Social Security card, and insurance cards—they’re all at his disposal. He can use them outright, sell the information to others or use the information on them to open new accounts in your name.

In fact, it’s not uncommon for ID theft victims’ names to be used by identity thieves when they’re arrested for other crimes. Before long, you could have an arrest record that puts your current or future employment at risk.

And, in a nation where 46 million people don’t have health insurance, your medical identity is a hot commodity. And, with a medical record that shows the wrong blood type, drug allergies or medical conditions, your life could be at risk.

That’s why LifeLock created WalletLock™. They know how difficult and time consuming it is to contact creditors’ offices to close accounts and open new ones, and how frustrating it is to contact all the government offices and find the right person in the right department to cancel and replace all your official documents.

When a LifeLock member loses a wallet, with just a single call, they’ve got someone on their side to help them make all the right contacts, and complete all the right forms. In fact, with the member’s permission, a WalletLock™security expert can complete a lot of the phone calling and form completing for them.

When a wallet is lost or stolen, time is of the essence. Visit LifeLock.com today, and see what they can do to help protect your identity. Enroll using the LifeLock promo code Defense and you’ll get a discount on service and a 30 day trial.