Identity thieves get our private information mainly by physical means (as opposed to electronic means.) This includes social engineering, dumpster diving, mail collection and such. Lately, I’ve been taking some long due measures to decrease the physical availability of my private information. I called my credit card provider and asked to stop mailing me the monthly reports and to stop sending me these dangerous convenience checks. It was painless, no questions asked. You should read this story, and that would probably motivate you to do the same.
I am also seriously considering paying more with cash; that has the added bonus of the CC providers from collecting my spending patterns (and selling them) in addition to reducing the likelihood of ID theft. The problem is that one is screwed without a good credit in this country; so that’s the down side of paying only in cash.
I’m also shredding more diligently. My neighbor told me what his mother used to do with letters she wanted to discard; she drowned them. You take a bag, put the documents in it, fill it with water and let it sit for a while. For good measure, you can probably add some chemicals depending on your paranoia level. Another alternative to shredding is burning, but that’s not very convenient.