As a teacher of theft education I am  committed to helping my readers overcome negative urges to steal and protect themselves from others attempting to rob them. One of the most frightening forms of theft comes at you indirectly and hits hard – identity theft.

In my last entry, I suggested initial steps you can take once you believe you have become the victim of identity theft. Today we will look at steps you can take to keep from becoming a victim. As reported in www.ydr.com.

You need to issue a fraud alert with one of the credit bureaus and file a police report and immediately put a freeze on the credit card or available credit. This blocks the ability from anybody trying to access that information from being able to obtain it.

One can also file an extended alert, which lasts seven years.

In the meantime, reach out to the businesses where you believe your information was falsely used.

If you have been victimized, there is no doubt collection agencies may be hounding you. Remember that despite being in collection always follow the cardinal rule: do not pay anything that you are disputing.

Investigators see blatant instances everyday where people don't protect their identity. Maybe they leave bank statements sitting in the mailbox too long or fail to shred important documents. Other people  provide information over the phone to unverified sources.

"There are so many scams out there. We have to be very careful," Flickinger said. "A lot of people have gone through — excuse my French — hell trying to get their lives together again."

Refer to my last blog for detailed tips on How to Check your Credit Report and Tips on Preventing Identity Theft.