SPONSORED — If you’ve ever swiped a credit card, written a check or placed an online order, chances are you’ve opened yourself up to identity theft – and possibly experienced it firsthand. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, an estimated 17.6 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2014.

Would-be hackers attempting to steal information is nothing new, but as the world becomes increasingly digital, these criminals are finding new and inventive ways to steal information.

This concept is quite familiar to Frank Abagnale. Abagnale, the former master check forger portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2002 film “Catch Me if You Can,” knows hackers can steal your identity in as few as 15 seconds.

Abagnale, a security consultant to the FBI for the past 40 years, and AARP’s Fraud Watch Network Ambassador recently spoke at Microsoft’s Redmond campus, offering tips on keeping identity thieves from stealing – and using – your information.

Invest in a micro-cut shredder

You might be accustomed to shredding documents that contain sensitive information, like social security and bank account numbers, but your shredding should be more comprehensive – a lot more. Fight Identity Theft recommends shredding “anything that has a signature, account number, social security number, or medical or legal information, plus credit offers.”

The website even recommends shredding address labels from junk mail and magazines, resumes, used airline tickets and old luggage tags – stuff most consumers would readily toss in the trash.

Use a credit-monitoring service

When it comes to protecting your information, it can pay to solicit professional help. Credit-monitoring services help protect against identity theft by detecting when new lines of credit are opened under your credit record. According to creditcards.com, you should keep in mind that these services don’t prevent fraud; they simply detect it and help resolve the issue before a minor breach becomes an expensive, frustrating experience. Common sense tactics are still key to protecting your information.

Use credit cards

If you’re looking for one more reason to rack up credit card points, here it is: By using a credit card, you’re essentially exposing your bank’s money to theft, not your own. According to the Better Business Bureau, federal law caps your liability at $50 if you report your debit card lost or stolen within two days, but that amount can skyrocket to $500 after two days and is virtually limitless if you don’t catch the fraud less than 60 days after receiving a statement. On the other hand, when you use a credit card, your liability maxes out at $50, period.

Don’t write checks in public

For being so small, a check packs a whole lot of private information. From your name and address to your routing and account numbers, that little document offers fraudsters an easy way to steal your information. And by writing them in public, you’re also inadvertently giving thieves the opportunity to memorize numbers and even study your signature before you can tear the check from the book.

Keep private information private

These days, few things happen in real life that aren’t subsequently documented online via social media. But there are a couple things you should never post on Facebook: your birthday or your place of birth. According to Huffington Post, “revealing your exact birthday and your place of birth is like handing over your financial security to thieves. … researchers recently discovered that they could reconstruct social security numbers using an individual’s birthday and place of birth.” Bottom line: the birthday wishes aren’t worth it.

When it comes to your identity, protection is everything. After all, you’ve only got one.