Individuals interested in committing the crime of identity theft are using a wide range of different schemes and tactics in order to steal personal and financial information from people just like you.  Moreover, individuals involved in identity theft can be lurking in many different locations and settings.  Therefore, the bottom line is that you must always be on alert when it comes to the potential for identity theft.

Unfortunately, there has been a rise in the incidence of identity theft being committed by people associated with the retail industry.  Having made this comment, it is important to note that most men and women involved in the retail industry are hard working and honest people.  However, there are a few bad apples (and a few more each and every month) you work in retail and who are involved in identity theft.

The most common scheme used by people involved in using retail marketing as a tool for identity theft involves snaring credit card information from customers.  It is surprisingly easy for a person employed in retail to snag all of your credit card information in a flash – your name, credit card number, zip code and the security code on the back of your card.

These individuals actually more often than not do not use this stolen information directly as part of a their own identity theft scheme.  Rather, in a majority of cases, these individuals involved in the retail industry turn around and sell your credit card information to the actual identity thief.

Of course, there really is no way in which you can detect whether an employee of a retail merchant is going to be a scheming crook.  However, you can protect yourself by continually monitoring all of your accounts.  In this regard, you can easily monitor activity on your accounts online – and on a daily basis if you so desire.  Moreover, you can regularly check your credit reports as a means of detecting unauthorized activity as well.

With that noted, when you are making a retail transaction, it is very important that you watch the salesperson, clerk or other employee when that individual has your credit card in his or her possession.  For example, there is no reason whatsoever that a retail employee should leave the area in which you are in with your card.  And, if that individual attempts to do so, get your card back immediately and take your business elsewhere.