According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, an estimated 7 million consumers across the nation became victims of identity theft in 2002. In light of this statistic, the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station/Community Safety Center would like to offer some valuable tips to help protect individuals from identity theft.

Be aware that thieves know that mailboxes frequently contain personal identification information. Some of the information that a thief could use to establish new accounts in your name include your Social Security number, credit card numbers, driver’s license number, cancelled checks and even health insurance cards and billing information.

A change of address can be requested on an existing account or after a new account is established, and it could take a long time for you to become aware of the problem.

Following are some tips to help keep your personal identification information out of the hands of the wrong people:

For more safety tips, please visit www.safercerritos.com.