Do not readily give out personal information. For example, some restaurants request a credit card number over the phone when making reservations. Do not give it, and go to another restaurant. Your protection is only as good as their security.
Be careful of copied documents or identifications. The other night, I was asked to prove my residence in a city three different ways for my son's baseball all-star qualification. One identification they were requesting was a copy of a driver's license. Parents were unaware that a driver's license number and birthdate are invaluable data for bank accounts and other privacy circumstances. If you must provide a copy of such, black out the sensitive information. The document you may be handing over may pass through many hands.
Restrict access to your personal information. Passwords on computers are essential. Access to your computer can provide information to undesirable eyes
Do not let anyone cash your checks without a phone call from the bank. Visit your bank and arrange to block the cashing of all checks unless they phone your cell phone. This procedure has prevented the cashing of fraudulent checks four times in the last five years. One just occurred today, where a bank called me for the cashing of a check by a client who did not write the check. Individuals produce fraudulent checks and cash them at your bank.
Do not return calls to suspicious area codes. Scammers text messages, or leave phone messages with some urgent message. They entice you to call a number that is to the Caribbean (e.g., "809" area code) and keep you on the line as long as possible. That can bring charges up to $25 per minute. I have also heard of some scams that transfer your call around the world amounting to hundreds of dollars on your bill. Be careful. Here are some other area codes.
