While methods used by identity thieves to steal personal information have grown increasingly sophisticated over the last ten years, older methods of stealing personal identification documents through crimes of opportunity – including theft of wallets and purses – remain common. And, while you can’t prevent a high-tech identity thief from hacking a computer database of a company that has collected your personal information, you can control what you carry with you on a daily basis.
Most people slowly accumulate vast amounts of personal information in their wallets and purses without giving much thought to whether they need to carry all that information every day. From credit and debit cards; to Social Security, Medicare and health insurance cards; to voter registration and frequent flyer cards; to lists of passwords and personal identification numbers (PINs) for all the cards and accounts they use, their wallets and purses contain treasure for the opportunistic identity thief.
So, what should you carry in your wallet or purse?
The truth is there is no one-size-fits-all answer as each individual requires different types of personal identification documents on different days. Depending on your daily activities, job and lifestyle, you may need to carry more or less personal information in your wallet or purse than another individual.
However, there is a simple rule of thumb that everyone can use to reduce the amount of personal information and identification documents they carry and thereby reduce their risk of identity theft. Only carry personal information and identification documents you need that day.
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