NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - A new study from the Department of Justice shows an estimated 3.6 million households were victims of at least one type of identity theft within just a six-month period in 2004.

We'll tell you how to cut the risk of ID theft in today's Five Tips.

What is identity theft? America's No. 1 consumer complaint takes many forms. While people worry most about shopping online, the real threats either are more mundane or are large-scale crimes. Here's a look at four all-too-common types.       Computer crime    Data theft by spyware, viruses, e-mail and hackers, and during online transactions, accounts for only 12 percent.    Personal betrayal    Friends, relatives, employees and others who've managed to get access to your data account for more than 20 percent    Document loss    Stolen wallets, checkbooks or credit cards, stolen mail and paper records retrieved from your trash account for 39 percent.    Business leaks    Consumer files lost or breached in the past six months at ChoicePoint, LexisNexis and elsewhere now top 2.4 mil.

In this study, one-third of ID victims noticed their identity was stolen because they noticed missing money, or saw unfamiliar charges on an account. Only a quarter of people were contacted by a credit bureau.

You have to be vigilant when it comes to watching your personal accounts. Pay attention to billing cycles and payments. If you don't get a monthly bill, it may mean it's been diverted by a thief. Make sure you check your account statements to make sure all charges and withdrawals were authorized. And of course, order copies of your credit report from www.annualcreditreport.com.

Keeping your info out of the hands of ID thieves isn't easy, but it could save you a whole lotta dough. The average loss for a ID victims was about $1,290. You can make it harder for them to get the information in the first place, however.

Destroy all documents that you don't absolutely need to save for agencies such as the IRS. This includes any documents that have your birth date, e-mail addresses, signatures or phone numbers. You should shred ATM receipts, bank statements, medical and dental records, expired passports, cancelled checks and any old IDs you may have lying around, like old employee badges.

Credit card abuse is more easily stopped than other kinds of misuse, like stolen information from junk mail. Junk mail is a hot ticket for thieves. So nip the problem in the bud and get off the mailing lists.

To opt out of credit card offers call 1-888-5-OPTOUT. If you want to get off of direct mailing lists, just send your name to DMA Mail Preference Service at P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735.

Sometimes a little mystery is a good thing. Use an e-mail account that has no relation to your real name. Choose something that gives you more anonymity to strangers who will see your address. Be a bit more creative.

You should also make sure that your e-mail program (i.e. Outlook Express, etc.) does not list your real identity as the display name.

25 percent of victims say the misuse of their identity has not stopped, and that they've experienced more than one problem as a result of their identity being stolen.

Remember, just because you've been victimized once, does not mean you're immune from getting hit again. You still have to be vigilant when it comes to monitoring your information.

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Gerri Willis is a personal finance editor for CNN Business News and the host for Open House. Send your questions, your comments and your own ideas to us at 5tips@cnn.com.