Sites offer tips to avoid ID theft

By Chuck Myers
Knight Ridder News Service

Identity theft has become a popular and fast-growing form of financial fraud. Millions of dollars are lost each year when confidential financial information, such as Social Security numbers and credit-card accounts, is compromised.

What can you do to safeguard private financial information? Several Web sites offer advice on that subject. Here are some sites worth a visit:

American Bankers Association

• www.aba.com/Consumer+Connection/CNC-contips-idtheft.htm
  Lists protective steps and action to take if you become a victim.

Federal Trade Commission

• www.consumer.gov/idtheft
  Central U.S. government site for all matters related to identity theft.

How Stuff Works

• www.howstuffworks.com/identity-theft4.htm
  Detailed information on how identity theft occurs and how to guard against it.

Identity Theft Resource Center

• www.idtheftcenter.org
  Features test for identity theft risk factors, with tips for businesses and consumers.