I first saw Melissa McCarthy back in 2000 while watching my favorite TV show at the time, “Gilmore Girls.” She played Sookie St. James, the quirky, adorable chef in a small town who always wore pigtails and was never afraid to boss people around. Then I saw her in “Samantha Who” as Dena, the funny, level-headed best friend. But what catapulted her to fame was her role in “Bridesmaids.” McCarthy is the quintessential supporting actress and is always a bowl full of laughs. But I’m happy to see her in her first starring role opposite “Horrible Bosses” star Jason Bateman.

Bateman’s character, Sandy Bigelow Patterson, has everything to lose. After getting his identity stolen from an Orlando woman, he goes on a frantic quest to find her and reclaim his identity. He travels halfway across the U.S. to confront her. Always great with his finances and being an accountant himself, Patterson is shocked to learn his credit score is a shambles. And to make matters worse, if he doesn’t clear his name in a week he could lose his job. He bribes, coaxes and wrangles his way to get her the 2,000 miles back to Denver.

But the thief isn’t going down without a fight. Her animated antics, jabs to the throat and funny one liners are hilarious and kept me entertained throughout the film. But when bad guys are on the hunt for her as well, will they be forced to work together? First chance you get I recommend seeing this film. You won’t be disappointed.

This film made me realize just how easy it is for someone else to steal your identity, blow through your life’s savings in the mere matter of weeks and screw up your life. Don’t let yourself be another victim!

How to Protect Yourself

According to Lifelock.com, over 8 million Americans in 2011 were victims of identity theft. Lifelock is one of the best companies out there for identity theft prevention. So if you don’t have prevention set forth as of yet, do so as soon as you can. Lifelock identity theft protection is a good option for any and every one.

Think like a thief. Look at anything you throw away like a thief would. Are there important numbers? Account information? Social security numbers? If there’s anything of value that someone could easily steal your identity with, dispose of it properly.

• Start Shredding– Don’t let any mail with important or identifying information make it to the trash can intact. When in doubt always shred it. You will especially want to shred any financial statements, medical statements and pre-approved credit card offers with a cross-cut shredder.
• Clear Logins and Passwords– For convenience reasons many of us do our shopping and banking online. But to protect your information, be sure to always clear your logins and passwords after every use. For extra precaution change your password every month. If you can, always pay for purchases with a credit card, which has better guarantees under federal law than if you use your debit card. Keep an eye out for phishing scams.
• Monitor your bank and credit card statements frequently– I recommend checking your bank accounts weekly to ensure nothing’s going awry. Purchases you didn’t make should jump out at you. And a word to the wise: try to fill up your tank with an odd dollar amount. Far too often people wait to get to an even mark, but if you always fill up to .60 cents on the dollar you will know if someone other than you is purchasing gas.

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