Being contacted by a debt collection company about a bill you know nothing about could be the first sign that you may be the victim of identity theft. This crime touches the lives of as many as ten million victims a year.

If a collector calls you about an unfamiliar bill, you should ask the collector for information about the debt, such as account applications and statements. The collector must notify the original creditor about the fraud or the identity theft.

It is a good idea to request that the collector send you their fraud affidavit form. The best way not to be a victim is prevention; there are many of ways to protect your identity. Most importantly, protect your social security number.

Don't ever carry your social security card in your pocketbook. Only give out your social security number when it is absolutely necessary. If there are other types of identification that you can utilize in any situation, use that.

If you are not sure why a business is asking for your number, always ask why. You should put passwords on your bank, phone and credit card accounts. Avoid choosing passwords for these accounts that could be easily guessed. Combinations of numbers, letters and special characters are usually the most efficient.

Keep your information secure. Watch your wallet, and keep your information in a secure place at home. Shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, checks, bank statements and credit offers you get in the mail. You can stop receiving pre screened offers of credit in the mail by calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT. Promptly remove mail from the mailbox.

One preventative method that might be worth considering is identity theft insurance. While it won't stop identity theft it can mitigate the damages to an extent. Keep in mind that in addition to loss of money, identity theft is time consuming. Also, many law enforcement officers and companies will  speak with you only , making it impossible for someone else to help you.