Identity theft is the obtaining of personal information--such as a social security number, credit card number, or bank account number--of a person by another person for the purpose of committing fraud against that person as well as others who suffer financial losses from the fraud. The personal information may be obtained by the theft of a wallet or purse, through e-mail or phone contacts, through information gained from legitimate transactions, by rummaging through trash to find discarded financial statements, or completing a "change of address form" with a post office to divert mail to another location for the purpose of obtaining personal information. Warning signs of identity theft include failing to receive bills or other mail, receiving credit cards for which you did not apply, denial of credit for no apparent reason, and receiving calls from debt collectors about products or services you did not buy. Guidance is offered for obtaining one's annual free credit reports, for managing personal information to reduce opportunities for identity theft, and for limiting access to one's social security number. Military personnel are instructed in how to implement a fraud alert on credit reports during active-duty deployment. Guidelines also address how to respond if personal information has been lost or stolen and if personal information has been used by another person to commit a fraud offense. Fraud alerts and identity theft reports are also discussed. Suggestions for additional information and a statement of the Federal Trade Commission's privacy policy are included as well.