Around eight million people are expected to be victims of identity theft in 2009. With the holiday shopping season upon us, here are a few tips that may help you from becoming an identity theft statistic:

Reduce the number of credit and debit cards you carry in your wallet and keep track of the cards you do carry. If your wallet is lost or stolen, you will want to know which cards were in it so you can notify the appropriate financial institution.
When using your credit and debit cards, pay close attention to how the magnetic stripe information is swiped by the waiter or clerk. Dishonest employees have been known to use small hand-held devices called skimmers to quickly swipe cards and then later use the account number for Internet shopping.

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A classic example of credit-dependent financial crime (bank fraud) occurs when a criminal obtains a loan from a financial institution by impersonating someone else. The criminal pretends to be the victim by presenting an accurate name, address, birth date, or other information that the lender requires as a means of establishing identity.