AP9 Privacy Matters 123 is a security and privacy membership program presented by Adaptive Marketing LLC. Various reports estimate that Identity theft is the crime that keeps growing, for example approximately 27 million people have had their identities stolen in the last five years, and that number is only going to rise as identity thieves find new ways to pilfer personal information from unsuspecting -- and even vigilant -- victims.

One of the best ways to uncover signs of identity theft is the monitoring your credit reports on a regular basis, states AP9 PrivacyMatters123. Such signs on your credit report can include accounts opened in your name but without your permission; inquiries about your credit history from a source with which you've had no contact (a credit card issuer, a loan officer, or even a landlord or employer); and addresses connected with your name that have no bearing on your own life.

If you monitor your credit cart, it can help you uncover evidence that your identity has already been stolen, but it can't protect you from the initial act of theft. While there is no demonstrated way to eliminate the risk , AP9 Privacy Matters 123 offers some steps you can take to reduce that risk of identity theft:

The first thing is to destroy documents that contain personal, identifying information about you. If a document isn't important enough to merit safe storage, shred or burn it. This includes the obvious -- financial statements as well as documents that display your Social Security number, birth date and more -- and the not-so-obvious, such as unsolicited credit card offers and even utility bills. Identity thieves will use just a little bit of data about you to open doors and uncover a wider range of information that can leave your name -- and finances -- vulnerable. Destroying documents is the safest way to keep them out of the wrong hands.

The second thing it to keep your Social Security number to yourself. While some official documents -- W-9 forms and passports, for instance -- legally require you to list your Social Security number, the rest of the documents do not. As a good rule of thumb, never give your Social Security number unless obligated to do so by law. Social Security numbers are the holy grail for identity thieves because they can be used to open bank accounts, take out loans and much more. Protect yours as if your identity depended on it -- because it does.

The third is to protect your computer. You must install firewalls and other protective programs to protect against hackers and spies; delete spam e-mails without opening them; don't follow links in unsolicited e-mails; and don't use obvious passwords like birthdays, maiden names or other easily traceable references.

For more information visit http://www.privacymatters123-program.com/PrivacyMatters123_ResourceCenter.html