1. Don’t believe every email you read. Banks, Social Security, and credit card companies will NEVER email you to verify information or say your account has been compromised. Clicking on the link in the email will take you to a hijacked Web site whose only purpose is to get your personal information and passwords.

2. Implement a credit freeze every 90 days. Although the terms vary from state to state, credit freezes are important to prevent someone from starting a new account in your name.

3. Use secure passwords that employ letters and numbers. A favorite strategy is to use a Bible verse. After all, how many verses are there and who would guess which one?

4. As an employer or a patient, you want to know whether a background check has been performed on all new hires. If someone is in debt or has bad credit, they are more likely to steal office information or patient information to sell or use for themselves. A comprehensive background check will report whether the person has been convicted of a crime either locally or nationally.

5. Protect what’s in your wallet. Photocopy the front and back of all the contents in your wallet, including credit cards, healthcare cards, and even store credit cards.

This is only the beginning. Check back often for identity theft and healthcare fraud prevention news and advice. Next time we’ll explore some of the most costly medical identity theft scams.