Identity theft victim Michelle Brown and identity theft expert Eric Gertler, author of "Prying Eyes," joined "Good Morning America" to talk about how to prevent identity theft from happening to you. Check out the following tips:

• Guard your personal information closely. Don't carry your social security card. Keep it in a secure location.
• Don't give out your social security information to salespeople or anyone else who has no reason to need it.
• Study your bank and credit card statements to make sure all the charges make sense.
• Shred your documents before throwing them away.
• Check your credit report as often as possible.


If you feel you are a victim of identity theft, call one of the three national credit bureaus immediately and put a fraud alert on your accounts. All you need to do is call one, and the other credit bureaus will be notified automatically. Call one of the following bureaus for help: Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; Experian: 1-888-397-3742; TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289.

Or you can visit the following Web sites:
www.consumer.gov/idtheft
www.privacyrights.org
www.americanexpress.com/identitytheftassistance
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