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1.  Dumpster Diving. Thieves rummage through trash looking for bills or other papers with your personal information on it.

2.  Skimming. Thieves steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special electronic storage device that tracks your information when your card is processed.

3.  Phishing. Thieves pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to try to trick you into revealing your personal information.

4.  Changing Your Address. Thieves have been known to actually fill out a change-of-address form with your information in order to divert your billing statements to other locations.

5.  Old-Fashioned Stealing. Thieves steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They also steal personnel records, or bribe employees who have access.

6.  Pretexting.  Thieves use false pretenses to obtain your personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources.

If you have been a victim of any of the above tactics, or are concerned about identity theft, contact the Federal Trade Commission to file a complaint and inform all of your financial institutions.  Contact an attorney to discuss what legal options may be available to assist you in repairing any damage done.