As more people move to making their purchases online consumers let their guard down and can make themselves more open to identity theft .

Computer users would be surprised to know how much information open for grabs on their PC's. Information such as passwords, credit card numbers, back account numbers and other financial information.

When getting and setting up a new computer take the opportunity to through the information on your old PC before copying the data over.

Take advantage of the new electronic tools to "shred" your digital files before disposing of the PC through giving away, donating or recycling.

Before making any online purchase for yourself or as gifts make should the site has a solid privacy policy and look for a seal of approval from organizations like the Better Business Bureau.

Virtual credit cards that expire or are only good for one purchase are great to use on websites you are not familiar with. If you run Windows as your operating system make sure you have the latest security patches before making purchases.

Tips To Avoid Identity Theft While Shopping Online

• If you are called by the "Credit Card" company to check for possible fraudulent charges, never give information over the phone. Instead take the extra measure to call the company back using their 1-800 number to verify who you are speaking with.
• Check your advanced setting before downloading any music. Make sure access to all areas which could contain personal information has been disabled.
• Never use bank account passwords for any purchases or site registrations.
• If you are using a friends computer to purchase online items make sure your email passwords are not saved on their PC.

Don't think you are immune to Identity theft. According to a Gartner report, Identity theft happens in the US every two seconds. So far in 2007, about 8.4 million people have had to deal with the issue. A product such as LifeLock is the only Identity Theft Prevention Solution backed by a one-million dollar guarantee!