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Washington, Aug 20, 2003 - Guarding against and recovering from identity theft is not easy. But, there are things you and your family can do to protect yourselves. If you have been a victim of identity theft, call the FTC's hotline toll-free at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338). To learn more about identify theft and all the ways you can protect yourself visit the FTC's website at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

Following is a brief list of some simple steps to help protect your personal information:

· Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies. By checking your record on a regular basis you can catch mistakes and fraud before it is too late.
· Place passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using information like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security Number or your phone number.
· Do not give out your personal information over the phone, through the mail or on the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or are sure you know whom you are dealing with. Identity thieves often pose as bank representatives or even government agencies to get you to reveal your information.
· Secure your personal information in your home and on your computer, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help or are having service work being done in your home.
· Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at the post office, rather than leaving it in an unsecured mailbox. Promptly remove all mail from your mail box and be sure to call the post office to put a hold on your mail if you are going to be away on vacation.
· Tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired charge cards that you no longer need, and credit offers you may get in the mail. This will cut down on theives who pick through the trash to get your personal information.
· Do not carry your Social Security card with you; keep it in a secure place.
· Keep your purse or wallet at a safe place at work.
· Pay attention to your billing cycles and follow up with creditors if your bills do not arrive on time. A missing credit card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address.
· Try not to store financial information on your laptop unless you use a good, strong password. Do not use an automatic log-in feature which saves your user name and password and always log-off when you are finished. If your laptop ever gets stolen, it will be harder for a thief to access your information.