The best way to fight identity theft is through education. I want to pass on to you the top fifteen things you should do to protect yourself from Identity Theft:

1. Obtain a copy of your credit report on a regular basis (suggestion: at least once a year.) Three Credit
   Bureaus: www.annualcreditreport.com or www.myfico.com*
   1. Equifax       (800) 685-1111
   2. Experian     (888) 397-3742
   3. TransUnion (800) 888-4213
   
    
2. Check monthly statements and report any and all discrepancies.
3. Shred, burn, or destroy personal information before throwing in the trash.
4. Stop bulk mail at the post office.
5. Opt out of the Direct Marketing Lists - Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9008, Farmington, NY
   11735-9008.
6. Do not leave outgoing mail in the box with the flag up. To be extra careful, drop the mail off at a post office or postal box.
7. Deal with established, reputable merchants over the phone or Internet.
8. Do not give out personal information over the phone.
9. When using the Internet, look for the security lock and read the privacy statement.
10. Be suspicious of e-mails asking for personal information. (See #11 on how to protect yourself).
11. Install the Windows Live! Toolbar with  the Windows Live! OneCare Advisor add-in (One of the top rated Phishing Filters) to validate if the website / website link from an e-mail is who it claims to be from.
12. Secure your home computer. Install a firewall, virus-protection, and anti-spyware software, and if you dispose of a PC, remove your data with a “wipe” utility program (erasing files manually isn’t the same thing).
13. When choosing passwords, assume that someone already has a bunch of your personal information and is trying to break into your accounts. Don’t use the same password for all your accounts. Avoid using your SSN (or even a part of it), you or your mom’s maiden name, birth date, middle name, pet’s name or consecutive guessable numbers for passwords. If you have trouble remembering hard-to-guess passwords, write them down and keep them somewhere secure – hide them in a locked drawer, for example. It’s a bit of a hassle, but it’s nothing compared to having your identity stolen. 
14. Don’t leave printed personal and/or financial information lying around at home. This is a no-brainer. More often than not, identity thieves are friends or relatives of the victim who get their personal information offline – not electronically. Keep checkbooks, social security information, billing information, and anything else a thief could use to steal your identity out of sight and secure.
15. Ask to be put on the Do Not Call list (888) 382-1222 www.donotcall.gov and Do Not Email Lists www.dmaconsumers.org/offemaillist.html.

* Get updated Coupon Code here.
Updated 11/28/06 - Changed from MSN to Windows Live! Branding. Now link to coupon code site, so coupon code does not go stale. Other minor tweaks.