Limit the number of applications because multiple credit applications are a red flag on your credit report and can lower your credit score.

FORBES: Tips On Transferring Your Credit Card Balance To Another Issuer

The consumer can then red-flag his credit files and consult the Equifax fraud specialist about how to prevent the identity thief from opening up new accounts, taking out loans or making big-ticket purchases in the customer's name.

FORBES: Paying For Peace Of Mind

Equally bizarre, the Providence Journal reports that a retired Rhode Island schoolteacher's attempt to pay off a credit card was held up because the transaction did not fit his usual pattern and therefore raised a red flag.

FORBES: The $7 Billion Laundry Bill