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5 ways you can escape the evil clutches of identity theft.

What do you do if someone else becomes you?

True

Identity theft is a very real villain in the United States.

GIF from "The Avengers."

In fact, it has been for a long time.

The very first identity thieves operated IRL. They used a technique called "ghosting," where they would take on the identity by literally obtaining and using the real documents of a dead person or, in more extreme cases, murder their victims and live their lives.

By the 1960s, scammers would frequently call an unsuspecting stranger, tell them they had just won cash, and ask for their personal information in order to release their "winnings."

Once the '80s rolled around, the authorities were more vigilant and criminals had to resort to other dirty tactics — like literally going through your trash and looking for discarded paperwork with personal information (bank statements, pay stubs, bills, you name it).

Yet as technology has continued to advance, so have the powers of identity thieves.

GIF from "Guardians of the Galaxy."

Now, someone can manipulate all your information without even being in the same country as you.

Using spyware, phishing, or pharming techniques, these criminals can hack your personal records, prevent you from getting a job, or worse, take out a loan in your name — all from the comfort of their own computer.

This is probably not a huge surprise to you. In a recent survey by the AICPA, 21% of respondents said they experienced identity theft in the past year, while 50% said they expect it to happen to them in the coming year — not a good sign.

But don't fear too much! This evil can be defeated with a solid plan of attack.

GIF from "Deadpool."

We teamed up with David Almonte, a CPA and audit senior at Grant Thornton, to find ways to combat this new breed of criminal. When asked about them, David said: "They're not trying to make things too complicated because they don't have time for that. They want the easy victims. So I think our job is to educate the people that don't know the basics."

The evildoers won't know what hit 'em. Here are five ways that'll help save the day.

1. Establish an impenetrable shield.

GIF from "Captain America: The First Avenger."

To ensure your online safety, start by using solid, complex passwords (not the word "password") for all your online accounts and changing them up every once in a while. Just make sure you memorize them and never write them down. (Don't be that person who leaves passwords sticky-noted to the computer for the whole office to see.)

In fact, some go the extra mile and install added security measures such as text or email verification. If you're not sure how to do this, just contact your bank and they'll be happy to help you out.

2. Maximize your arsenal of information.

GIF from "Iron Man 2."

You have unprecedented access to all your personal information, so use that to your advantage. But where to start? Well, if you're just paying attention to this issue now, David says, "The most important thing you can do is to get your credit report. Make sure everything's on there."

Check out your bank statements regularly as well. If you have trouble keeping track, you can download a personal finance app to make it easier to see your accounts at a glance. When you're in control, nothing will get past you.

3. Outsmart the enemy with a clever strategy.

GIF from "Guardians of the Galaxy."

Hackers aren't the only ones allowed to have tricks up their sleeves. Stay out of sight and make yourself harder to track — request paperless statements, use cash and checks more often, or even limit your online transactions.

If you're a heavy card user though, David suggests reaching for your credit card rather than your debit card when you're out on the town.

"With your credit card, you're usually liable for $50 of fraudulent charges, and most credit cards will waive that. ... If someone steals your debit card and ... say you have $5,000 in your account and they spend all $5,000, whether or not you're going to get that back, you're out $5,000 until it gets handled."

4. Set up emergency signals.

GIF from "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice."

This is your last line of defense. Since our phones are always by our side, best to make the most out of it. Customize your security settings so you can monitor your accounts much better through apps, SMS notifications, or any other mobile options they may offer.

"Set up the free alerts, get the apps, everything!" adds David. You want to be contacted right away whenever a certain amount gets charged to your card.

Sadly, things can still go wrong and you could find yourself compromised. If that happens...

5. Don’t hesitate to call in reinforcements.

GIF from "Avengers: Age of Ultron."

You are never alone, my friend. And David knows that. "If you do end up getting your identity stolen or you think it got stolen, freeze all your credit cards, contact the Federal Trade Commission, your local police, and your credit card companies. The worst thing you can do is do nothing."

No matter what's thrown your way, the moment something feels wrong, you have to take action. After all, that's what superheroes always do, right?

Have no fear — you got this.

These fine-print tips could help you better understand what you're signing up for.

When a shiny new credit card shows up in the mail, what's the first thing you do?

If you’re like most people, you activate it, peel off that sticker, and load it into your wallet like artillery in a spending cannon.

Welcome to adulthood! Image by Sean MacEntee/Flickr.

But what about all that other stuff that comes along with the card? Petite as they are, credit cards usually arrive in thick envelopes, jam-packed with all the information issuers have to disclose by law.

That, my friends, is your credit card agreement, and every time you swipe that cut of beveled plastic, you’re giving two thumbs up to everything therein.

During my first few years out of college, I had no idea what terms like "overdraft protection" or "cash advance" meant.

I paid plenty of fees as a result, some of which I got refunded by calling and asking nicely. But if I’d read and understood my credit card agreement, it would have saved me hours of frustration.

Recently the CARD Act outlawed a few of the worst practices that some credit card issuers use (things like "universal default" and "double-cycle billing"). But no matter what, you do need to know the nitty-gritty details of credit cards before you start swiping. Here are five areas of your credit card agreement that could throw you for a loop if you’re caught unaware.

1. Cash advances

First, you should definitely check out the Schumer box on your credit card agreement, which outlines stuff like annual percentage rate (APR), grace period, and annual fees (if applicable). That’s a good place to start. (If you're like me and you’ve already tossed your credit card agreement, you also can pull up a copy online, either on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s credit card agreement database or on your card issuer’s website.)

Photo by _Dinkel_/Flickr

But here’s something I found out after I’d had a credit card for a while: Many issuers charge a transaction fee for cash advances on a credit card, plus interest that starts immediately, not after a grace period. "Even if you did read all the fine print, that’s something you might not understand,” says Beverly Harzog, credit expert and author of "The Debt Escape Plan: How to Free Yourself from Credit Card Balances, Boost Your Credit Score, and Live Debt-Free."

Unfortunately, it’s easy to take a cash advance without even realizing it. For instance, if you overpay your bill and transfer the extra money back to your bank account (as I once did) or you mistakenly use your credit card instead of a debit card at an ATM.

2. Late payments

Grace periods can vary from card to card and not every card has one. Paying your bill late not only damages your credit score, but if you pay more than 60 days late, it could trigger a higher penalty APR. “You could end up with that penalty rate retroactively against your whole balance,” Harzog says.

Plus, your issuer could revoke any rewards you’ve earned (buh-bye, Bermuda trip!). "If you do make a late payment, call the issuer right away and let them know what happened," Harzog says. "If you’ve got a good payment history, they might not do anything to your rewards."

3. Fees on top of fees

You probably know you’ll be charged interest on any unpaid balances. But what about things like balance transfers, foreign transactions, and overdraft protection? Alas, you don’t even have to leave your home country to get hit with a foreign transaction fee, I’ve learned. If you’re ordering online from a company that uses a foreign bank, the fee may still apply and it typically adds 1-3% to your transaction.

Photo by wsssst/Flickr.

With a prepaid or secured credit card, your issuer may also charge you a monthly fee and other fees that you may not expect unless you read the agreement closely. Knowledge is power, people!

4. Mandatory arbitration

If something goes wrong, you can always take them to court, right? Power to the people! But not so fast ... some credit card agreements actually strip you of this right, so if something goes wrong, you can’t sue them in court. Instead, a third-party arbiter would rule on your dispute and their decision would be binding.

In some cases, you even have to pay filing fees if you initiate the claim. Total lame sauce!

5. Terms are subject to change

Now that you’ve untangled the terms of your credit card agreement, here’s the kicker: Almost everything is subject to change. That’s right: card issuers can devalue your rewards, increase your APR (although usually not in the first year you have the card), or remove perks like warranty coverage or travel accident insurance.

For most changes, they must notify you in writing, so don’t toss any communications from your credit card issuer before reading it thoroughly. If you have a card with a low introductory APR, the card issuer doesn’t have to notify you when the introductory period ends and a higher APR kicks in automatically.

The bottom line: Read your credit card terms carefully, no matter how boring they are.

That's true adulting. “If you don’t understand something, call the company and ask,” Harzog says. “If the customer rep doesn’t understand, ask to speak to their manager.”

It's better to spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with the agreement and to walk away armed with knowledge than find out the hard way about late payment fees or penalty APRs. Take it from someone who's been there.