You'll also get a free copy of your credit report -- test it and stay in contact with the credit score bureaus till they right any fraudulent expenses or accounts you discover there. Credit card companies restrict your liability on fraudulent purchases, and you can dispute false prices. A financial savings account that has no checks issued and isn't linked to any debit card shall be much harder for a thief to achieve access to. If you retain a big sum of money in your foremost checking account, then all that cash is vulnerable if someone steals your debit card or writes checks in your title. Whenever you ship mail, use safe, opaque envelopes so nobody can read account numbers or spot checks simply by holding them as much as the sunshine. Only use ATMs in safe, well-lit places, and don't use the machine if somebody is standing too shut or looking over your shoulder.