Although high-tech fraud is notorious, the most common way criminals illegally obtain your personal information is through low-tech stealing -- of a wallet, purse, mail and even trash. This form of identity theft is dangerous because it can go unnoticed for a long time. In order to detect fraud fast, be sure to check your credit record with the three main credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, at least once a year to identify any bogus entries or errors -- you are entitled to a free report from each bureau once a year through AnnualCreditReport.com.

But what if that's not enough? How can you protect yourself from high- and low-tech identity fraud on a day to day basis? Follow these easy dos and don'ts to make sure your personal information stays secure.

-- Cameron Huddleston, Kiplinger Consumer News Service