10 tips on preventing identity theft put out by MinCal Consumer Law Group. Remember, we offer free consultations and if you are a victim of identity theft we can help resolve your case, many times at no cost to you. Call us today at 888-678-5550 or visit our website at www.mincal.com for more information.

1. We Stop Abusive and Harassing Debt Collectors
Including for those consumers who are victims of identity theft
DISCLAIMER
This document DOES NOT constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney/client relationship
between you and MinCal Consumer Law Group. It is intended to provide you with general information
to improve your consumer literacy and give a broad understanding of typical situations. You should
note that consumer protection laws may differ in each state. Laws frequently change through legislative
amendments, developing case law, and federal/state regulations. Your legal rights and remedies will
depend on your particular circumstances, documents, and evidence. If you have any questions about
your rights visit http://www.mincal.com or call us toll free at 888-678-5550 for a free consultation.
Identity Theft is growing crime affecting millions of consumers and businesses
each year but you can reduce your chances of being affected. If you are a
victim, MinCal’s lawyers can help. Call us for a free consultation. Here are some
tips for ID Theft Prevention.
10 Tips
for Identity Theft Prevention
1. Protect your Social Security number
Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet. Don’t freely
give your social security number to just anyone who asks,
especially telephone solicitors, emails, or other phishing
schemes.
2. Shred, Shred, Shred
Before you throw away a document with personal information
like a credit card statement, bank statement, receipt,
convenience checks, etc., make sure you SHRED that document.
Thieves will look for your personal information in discarded
trash and use this information to steal your identity and/or
fraudulently open up accounts in your name.
© 2010 MinCal Consumer Law Group
Minnesota & California
888-678-5550
www.mincal.com

2. We Stop Abusive and Harassing Debt Collectors
Including for those consumers who are victims of identity theft
3. Don’t take the bait… Fight “phishing”
Scam artists “phish” for victims by pretending to be banks,
stores, government agencies, or other types of organizations.
They will do this over the phone, through e-mails, regular mail,
and sometimes in person. DON’T GIVE OUT YOUR PERSONAL
INFORMATION, unless you made the contact and you can verify
the organization. DO NOT respond to requests to verify your
account number or password. Legitimate companies will not
request this kind of information in this way.
4. Stop pre-approved credit offers
Stop most pre-approved credit offers. They make a tempting
target for identity thieves who steal your mail. Have your name
removed from credit bureau marketing lists. Call toll-free 1-888-
5OPTOUT (567-8688).
5. Check your bills and bank statements vigilantly
Open your credit card bills and bank statements right away.
Check your statements carefully for any unauthorized charges
or withdrawals and report them immediately. Call if bills don’t
arrive on time. It may mean that someone has changed contact
information to hide fraudulent charges.
© 2010 MinCal Consumer Law Group
Minnesota & California
888-678-5550
www.mincal.com

3. We Stop Abusive and Harassing Debt Collectors
Including for those consumers who are victims of identity theft
6. Ask questions
Ask questions whenever you are asked for personal information
that seems inappropriate for the transaction. Ask how the
information will be used and if it will be shared. Ask how it will
be protected. Explain that you’re concerned about identity
theft. If you’re not satisfied with the answers, consider going
somewhere else.
7. Shield your computer from viruses and spyware
Protect your personal information on your home computer. Use
strong passwords with at least eight characters, including a
combination of letters, numbers and symbols, that is easy for
you to remember, but difficult for others to guess. Use firewall,
virus and spyware protection software that is updated
regularly. Download free software only from sites you know
and trust. Don’t install software without knowing what it is.
8. Pay Bills at the Post Office
Don’t leave paid bills in your mailbox to be sent out. Any thief
who raids your mailbox will be able to gather some critical
personal information about you. Often times, they can also
copy your check information and write additional checks off
your account numbers.
© 2010 MinCal Consumer Law Group
Minnesota & California
888-678-5550
www.mincal.com

4. We Stop Abusive and Harassing Debt Collectors
Including for those consumers who are victims of identity theft
9. What’s in your wallet?
Make photocopies of the personal material in your wallet:
Driver’s license, credit cards, insurance cards, etc. (front and
back). Now, if your wallet is ever lost or stolen, you won’t be
left wondering what was actually taken and you’ll be able to
quickly notify the appropriate agencies about what has taken
place.
10. Check your credit reports, for free
One of the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft is
to monitor your credit history. You can get one free credit
report every year from each of the three national credit
bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Request all three
reports at once, or be your own no-cost credit-monitoring
service. Just spread out your requests, ordering from a different
bureau every four months. Order your free annual credit
reports by online at www.annualcreditreport.com, toll-free, at
1-877-322-8228. Or you can mail in an order form.
If you haven’t experienced problems resulting from the theft of your identity
already (Credit Reports, Debt Collectors, Creditors, Fraudulent Withdrawals, etc.),
you may experience problems in the future. While dealing with these problems
can be time-consuming and frustrating, MinCal’s lawyers can help resolve your
case... And in most cases our firm doesn’t charge anything to represent you. We
are knowledgeable, friendly, professional, and will zealously assert your legal
rights. In fact, our firm’s entire focus is helping consumers solve their problems.
© 2010 MinCal Consumer Law Group
Minnesota & California
888-678-5550
www.mincal.com

5. We Stop Abusive and Harassing Debt Collectors
Including for those consumers who are victims of identity theft
We will evaluate your situation at no cost to you. Furthermore, if we
represent you, we will not charge anything to resolve your case.
Instead, we earn our fees through consumer protection statutes that
allow us to recover from those who violate your rights. Call us at 1-888-
678-5550 for a free consultation. Remember, if we take on your case,
you don't have to pay anything.
At MinCal, we have a passion for helping consumers solve
their problems. We recommend visiting our main website at
http://www.mincal.com and calling us at 888-678-5550 for a
free consultation. We look forward to helping you.
MinCal Consumer Law Group is a national law firm with
offices in California and Minnesota. MinCal is focused on
protecting consumers’ rights against abusive and harassing
debt collectors under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
(FDCPA) and respective state consumer protection laws. We
help consumers throughout the entire states of California and
Minnesota.
© 2010 MinCal Consumer Law Group
Minnesota & California
888-678-5550
www.mincal.com