Advice and insights on how to stop today's identity thieves can be found in the new membership program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC. Named AP9 Privacy Matters 123 reminds consumers that more than 27 million people have had their identities stolen in the last five years. Just as it once was in old espionage films, disposing of top-secret and importal personal data is now more important than ever.

    They'll do anything to make a dishonest buck, Identity thieves are opportunists, we must prevent agains them. For that reason, AP9 Privacy Matters 123 counts identity theft prevention among its key missions. Here are four important tips to help stop burglars from stealing your identity:

-- Chop it up. Don't throw it out. Keep thieves from exchanging trash into cash. Don't get careless with important records. Invest in a document-shredding machine, and don't leave important materials lying around. The greatest handwriting analyst in the world can't decipher information that simply isn't there.

-- "Dumpster divers" swim in the deep end. Thieves recognised as "dumpster divers" make a career out of literally picking through garbage -- looking for incomplete credit card applications, receipts and canceled checks. Recycling this data is dishonest, risky and illegal, but lucrative. Don't become a statistic. Keep important documents safe, and dumpster divers will get the idea -- the data pool is clearly closed.

-- Outfox the fox. Practicing smart home security can actually be fun. Part of the deal is learning to function like a thief -- to out-think them at their own game. Start with common sense. If you're scheduled to leave the area, don't advertise: Put lights on timers, stop newspaper delivery, and ask a neighbor to pick up the mail.

-- Make sure it's the one and only you. It may sound a little "cloak and dagger," but there are people out there who have stolen millions masquerading as someone else. To keep this from occurrence, safely store any information that list your Social Security number apart from a wallet, billfold or pocket book. Making a Social Security number readily available to other people sends a easy, two-word invitation -- "steal me."

    Plain and simple, IT CAN happen to you. Don't get caught in what is fast becoming the classic identity theft trap. Take the necessary steps to protect personal information by awareness of these acute, safeguarding advices from AP9 PrivacyMatters123. For more information visit http://www.privacymatters123-program.com/