For the victims, it can mean years of struggle to regain control over their affairs. Memorize passwords and personal identification numbers. If you write them down, keep them separate from bank and credit cards. Keep a record of all credit cards so that if they are lost or stolen you can notify the issuers. Never leave your purse or wallet unattended in a public place.
Some thieves sift through garbage for personal data.
When you re done with them, destroy all cheques, bank statements, credit cards, credit card receipts and automated teller receipts. You should also destroy all pre-approved and unused credit and loan forms. Review all cheque, credit card and utility statements and challenge any purchases or charges you did not make. Limit the number of credit cards you use and close inactive accounts. Get a report number from the police, and quote it in all correspondence with credit agencies.