You may have to close your checking account for protection. When you mail bills, mail them at the post office instead of leaving them at your apartment complex's outgoing mailbox or home's mailbox. There are certain cyclical periods when bills are paid, and they monitor those. Don't preprint you driver's license number and Social Security number on your check. When you make out a check, there are things you can do to deter thieves.
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Pamela Yip covers personal finance for The Dallas Morning News .