I was contacted this morning by someone who became a potential identity theft victim over the holiday weekend - her purse was stolen from the front seat of her car while she ran into a friend's house. She explained "well it's a really nice neighborhood, and I was only running in for a few minutes" after I (politely) inquired why she left her car doors unlocked.

The thief took off with her wallet, camera and cell phone...the perfect recipe for identity theft. She unfortunately did not have an identity theft protection plan until today, so she spent her entire New Year's weekend freezing accounts and changing passwords.

We can all learn two lessons from this ordeal:

1. Don't be so trusting of others, even if you're walking or parking in an upscale area. Keep your personal belongings protected!
2. Burglary happens when you least expect it, so it's best to prepare and protect yourself by using an online credit monitoring service or identity theft protection plan.

Here are some useful precautionary tips from the Middletown Transcript: http://bit.ly/e7ClRU