You know its time to start worrying about holiday shopping when the trees and giant Santas come out in all of the stores. One store I shop at is already playing holiday music!

The stores are gearing up for the holiday shopping season already. And so are identity thieves. Its the happiest time of the year for them, too.

The stores and malls are filled with rushed, often agitated, shoppers. The holiday crunch is distracting, and many shoppers forget to keep their personal information safe.

Identity theft is the gift that gives all year long. And chances are that youll never know you are a victim until you are turned over to a collection agency or turned down for credit. By that time, a criminal could purchase a car, a boat and a lot of bling-bling in your name.

One of the easiest ways to detect fraudulent usage of your identity is by checking your credit report. You are allowed one free report each year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Thats three reports a year. I stagger mine so that I watch my credit year round. I look at one in January, one in April and one in August.

If you suspect that your identity has been stolen, you should immediately put a 90-day fraud alert on your credit file. All you have to do is call one of the three agencies. The credit agency will then contact the other two agencies for you. They are required to do so by law.

The law also requires creditors to accept the fraud alert and take reasonable steps to verify your identity before opening a new account in your name.

If the problem isnt cleared up within 90 days, you can request an extended fraud alert that last up to seven years. To do this, you must provide proof that you have been a victim of credit fraud, for example, a police report. You can then remove the fraud alert at any time.

Lenders must notify you if they are reporting unpaid bills or negative information about you to a credit bureau.

You can help protect yourself from holiday identity theft by taking some defensive actions.

Remember, you will likely be in a crowd, often shoulder-to-shoulder with someone. This is an ideal setup for a pickpocket. Take only the credit or debit cards that you need for your shopping trip. You should probably keep them in the front pocket of your pants or the interior pocket of a jacket. If you carry a wallet, make sure that you do not have any personal information or your Social Security card in the wallet.

Pay close attention to your mail. If you dont receive your monthly credit card statement, it isnt a gift from Santa. Identity thieves love to raid mailboxes for your personal information. They can even change the address on your billing so that you wont catch on so fast.

If you shop online, check the sites security policies before you click buy. All reputable sites make their policies easily available.

Some credit card companies are starting to employ added protection for your online shopping. You can download a randomly selected disposable number good for one purchase. You dont have to use your real credit card number. Check to see if your credit card company offers this feature.

Be alert. Make sure that you dont leave a store without your credit card receipt. Dont forget to stop your mail if going on vacation. Take precautions that will make this a bright season for you and your family.