Consumers who are anxious about identity theft may wish that they could step into the shoes of a criminal who has stolen personal information in order to understand how to better protect themselves. Fortunately, Indiana's NewsCenter spoke with several people who have stolen IDs to uncover insider tips from criminals.

One of the thieves reminded consumers to "watch their back" when waiting in line at a grocery store or ATM. When in public, avoiding holding credit cards in the open until it's time to pay the cashier.

If you have a mailbox that has a red flag to indicate that you are sending outgoing mail, remember that criminals can read this signal just as easily as a mail carrier. As one thief told the news source, "[That red flag] can mean numbers and checks I can reproduce."

Some may be thrilled if a bill they are expecting fails to appear in their mailbox. However, this should be a point of concern - if you didn't receive your bill, it may mean that the information on the document has fallen into the wrong hands.

There are approximately 9 million cases of identity theft every year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Those who want to keep their personal data secure should consider using a private payment system when shopping online.