You'll additionally get a free copy of your credit score report -- verify it and keep in contact with the credit score bureaus till they appropriate any fraudulent expenses or accounts you discover there. Bank card companies limit your legal responsibility on fraudulent purchases, and you can dispute false expenses. A financial savings account that has no checks issued and is not linked to any debit card will likely be much harder for a thief to gain access to. If you retain a large amount of money in your main checking account, then all that cash is weak if somebody steals your debit card or writes checks in your identify. Once you ship mail, use secure, opaque envelopes so no one can learn account numbers or spot checks just by holding them up to the light. Only use ATMs in secure, nicely-lit places, and don't use the machine if somebody is standing too close or trying over your shoulder.