Identity theft is a serious crime that’s on the rise. It's a scary thought, but somebody could steal your personal information—like your Social Security number, driver's license number, credit and debit card numbers, and birth date—and then pretend to be you, racking up thousands of dollars of debt on your credit cards, taking out loans in your name to buy a car or house, or committing crimes.
While you can't guarantee that your identity will never be stolen, you can minimize your risk by safeguarding your personal information.
Below are ten steps to follow to help keep your personal information safe.
Don't give out personal information, like your Social Security number, credit or debit card numbers, or bank account information on the phone, through the regular mail or email, or over the Internet unless you initiated the contact, you know who you’re dealing with, and the web address (URL) begins with "https." (To learn what to do if your Social Security number is lost or stolen, see Loss, Theft, and Your Social Security Number.)
Also, know who's around you when you're in public. Look around and see if anyone can see or overhear you while you're using your sending personal information over your phone or computer.
Learn your Social Security number, passwords, and personal identification numbers (PINs). Don't carry them with you or write them down in an easily accessible location, like on the card itself.
Don’t use easily available information like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number, or your phone number for PINs or passwords. Along these lines, don’t overshare on social networks, like Facebook. A thief might use this information to guess your passwords. Also, avoid using the same password on multiple websites.
Also, consider using two-factor authentication when possible, which provides an additional layer of security to online accounts. (In addition to using a password, two-factor authentication requires you to give a secondary piece of evidence to verify your identity, like entering a code sent to you via text or email.)
Shred unwanted documents that contain personal information like charge receipts, preapproved credit offers and applications, insurance forms, physician statements, bank checks and statements, expired credit cards, and unused credit card applications.
Match your credit card receipts against your monthly bills and check your monthly bank statements for accuracy. Keep in mind that fraudulent transactions sometimes involve small dollar amounts as a thief tests your account to see if a purchase will go through before making a larger purchase. Report lost or stolen credit cards or debit cards immediately. (Learn about your potential liability if your credit, debit, or ATM card is stolen or lost.)
If you don't have a locked mailbox, put your outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or take it to your local post office. Also, promptly remove items from your mailbox after they’ve been delivered.
Preapproved credit card offers are a tempting target for identity thieves who steal mail. To get the credit reporting agencies to leave your name off lists creditors and insurers use to make unsolicited offers to you, go to OptOutPrescreen.com or call 888-567-8688.
Never click on links sent in an email from someone you don't know, or in a suspicious-looking email from a known contact. Be on alert for possible Internet and email scams.
One way to check for a scam is to roll over the link with your mouse so you can see the destination URL where the link will send you. If you have any doubts about the authenticity or safety of the site, then don’t click on the link. This approach can help you avoid malware, phishing scams, and viruses. (To find out how to protect yourself from online scams, see How to Avoid Online Scams.)
Use firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to protect your computer and check for updates often.
Under federal law, you can get one free credit report each year from the three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It’s a good idea to stagger your requests and get one report every four months. That way, you can monitor your credit reports on an ongoing basis and dispute any mistakes. To get your reports, go to AnnualCreditReport.com.
If you think someone might have stolen your personal information, get all three reports at one time to see if the reports contain signs of identity theft, like inquiries that you didn’t initiate and accounts you didn’t open. You should also consider freezing your credit.
The earlier you detect identity theft, the easier and quicker it will be to recover. In addition to checking your credit reports, watch out for signs of identity theft like your bills not arriving on time, unexpected credit cards or account statements showing up in the mail, or collection calls about loans you didn’t take out.
If you're a victim of identity theft, visit Identitytheft.gov and read Recovery Steps If You're a Victim of Identity Theft. Also, continue to monitor your credit reports and file disputes with the credit reporting agencies for any accounts that the thief has opened. It’s also a good idea to file your taxes early—as soon as you can—before a thief does.
If you need help straightening out your finances, dealing with debt collection agencies, or getting credit bureaus to remove fraudulent information from your credit report after an identity thief opens new accounts in your name, consider talking to a consumer protection lawyer.
