Step 11: Access free annual copies of your credit report.
You can access free annual copies of your credit reports from all three national consumer reporting companies at www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 877-322-8228. You are legally entitled to one free copy per year, so make use of that. (Note that if you choose to go through the reporting companies individually they can charge you up to $8 for a copy of your report.)
FTC statstics fromt heir February 2009 report show that people over 65 are the least likely to make use of this important method of protecting your identity. Don’t follow the crowd! These reports are free and wast to obtain. Most importantly, they can help you detect suspicious activity on your existing accounts or find any new accounts opened in your name, allowing you to stop identity thieves and minimize losses.
Source: MD Producer