S is for Stingy: Be stingy, or careful, about telling personal information unless you are sure you can trust the person.

C is for Check: Remember to check your information on a regular basis. Look over bank and credit card statements to be sure your finances are in good shape. Make sure you don’t have any mysterious charges.

A is for Ask: Ask for copies of your credit report. Did you know that you can get up to three free reports every year from the Annual Credit Report website. Take advantage of this great new law and make sure your records are spotless.

Place passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information such as your mother’s maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security Number or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers. Use a password instead of your mother’s maiden name when opening new accounts.

Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once a year. Check your report on a regular basis to catch mistakes and fraud before they hurt your finances. Don’t underestimate the importance of this step, and don’t wait until a major purchase to discover that you’re a victim of identity theft.

Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you’ve initiated the contact or are sure you know whom you’re dealing with. Identity thieves may pose as representatives of banks, Internet service providers (ISPs) and even government agencies to get you to reveal your personal information. Before you share this personal information, make sure you are dealing with a legitimate organization. Check the organization’s Web site or call customer service using the number listed on your account statement or in the telephone book.

Guard your mail and trash from theft. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office, rather than in an unsecured mailbox. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox. If you’re planning to be away from home and can’t pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to request a vacation hold. The Postal Service will hold your mail at your local post office until you can pick it up or are home to receive it. Tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired charge cards that you’re discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail.

Before revealing any personal information (for example, on an application), find out how it will be used and secured, and whether it will be shared with others. Ask if you have a choice about the use of your information. Can you choose to have it kept confidential?

Don’t carry your Social Security Number card; leave it in a secure place.

Carry only the identification information and the number of credit and debit cards that you’ll actually need.

Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don’t arrive on time. A missing credit card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks.

Be wary of promotional scams. Identity thieves may use phony offers to get you to give them your personal information.

Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work.

Secure personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help or are having service work done in your home.