Imagine our surprise when the bill for our new AAA membership arrived in our mailbox. Why the surprise, you ask? Because we hadn't signed up for a new AAA membership!

We probably just threw away an offer to join and someone else found it, added her name and sent it in.

Lucky for us, our little problem ended there. But others haven't been so lucky. Identity theft is a serious - and growing - problem. For some, it takes years of headaches and heartache trying to get their finances untangled and their credit restored.

Fortunately, we've got five simple steps you can take now to protect yourself...

1. Buy a shredder - and use it! Shred any and all solicitations you receive, not just credit card bills and personal papers. The smaller the pieces, the less likely a dumpster diver can find your bank account and credit card numbers. As we said, someone probably got our AAA membership solicitation from the trash and sent it in with her name on it.


2. Remove your name from the pre-approved credit mailing lists that are sold by the big three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax and Transunion. Not many people know how to do this, but it's easy when you know this website: www.optoutprescreen.com. Simply visit the site (which is run by the aforementioned three credit bureaus) and follow the directions. By limiting the unsolicited offers you receive in the mail, you also limit the chances of becoming a victim of ID theft.


3. Check your credit card bill as soon as you receive it to make sure all of the charges listed really are yours.


4. Protect your computer. The more up-to-date your software patches, firewalls and virus protection are, the tougher it will be for a hacker to grab private information.


5. Take advantage of the once-a-year free credit report you're allowed by law. This lets you spot the first signs of identity theft, such as address changes, unpaid bills or new accounts.

Don't be a victim! Follow these five simple steps today to protect yourself. It takes a lot less time to run through this list than it does to get your identity back again.

Keep yourself credit smart by reading our other articles here.