ID Theft Protection Help

[Anonymous]

After reading a lot of articles about ID Theft, I'm becoming convinced I need to do more to protect our family.  I'm planning on dumping the debit cards in favor of credit card use only.    I have one checking account that will be used just for cashing parole checks and paying regular bills, another for less frequent use.  If my bank still has them, I'm thinking I'll ask for a couple of the older "ATM only" cards for access to cash from this second checking account.  I'm also going to get rid of the overdraft protection on both checking accounts and make sure my savings account is isolated.  I'm undecided if I should switch to a PO Box.  The mail is delivered to our house just 15 minuets before or after I get home from work, so I'm not sure that's a big concern.  Outgoing mail of concern is always dropped off at the post office.  I used Suze Orman's product in August and am looking at the other products offered.  I and my wife have pretty good scores, our lowest at TU at 771 and 790 respectively, so I'm not sure I need to be checking them often, I'm more concerned about the reports.  Am I missing anything?

[Anonymous]

You might be right or a little paranoid

Things I do-

Complex passwords, firewall, AntiVirus software

Get Statements online instead of in the mail

Get to know your paper shredder-

Fire safe and a Safety deposit box

Don't carry SS Cards-

Credit Secure - one number service

Opt out

Don't allow CCC to send those checks

keep ontop of credit report

Use CC instead of Debit-

Pay bills online-

Do not call list- don't give personal information on the phone unless you initiated the call.
list goes on and on-

[Anonymous]

Yeah, my wife says I'm paranoid too, but better safe then sorry right?  When we went into the bank today to make the changes the associate seemed a little confused about why we wanted to stop using the debit cards.  She even said something like, "yeah, if someone stole my card I'd be screwed", but she still didn't seem to get my point.  Oh well.  Thanks for the advice.  I'll plan on calling my ccc and stop those checks, we opted out of the free offers so that's stopped most of the unsolicited ones. 

I'm looking at paying bills on line, but since my local bank doesn't offer the service I'm in a bind.  Not all of my payments can be made on the individual companies websites, many want to use a third party and none of them are the same, so I'll have to research my options.  Maybe I'll have to open a new checking account with an on-line company that has on-line bill pay.

[Anonymous]

I don't use it anymore- but try mycheckfree.com

[Anonymous]

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Timothy wrote:
I don't use it anymore- but try mycheckfree.com

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A lot of the places that you used to be able to pay through mycheckfree, you can't any longer. Which is really too bad, I loved that service. It was so handy! I paid all of my cc's through them.

[Anonymous]

One of my utility payments can be made through mycheckfree.com, but it's the only recurring bill I can do through them.  Still looking.  Thanks