Identity Theft Protection

What’s Identity Theft?

Identity theft, also known as identity fraud, is a crime in which an imposter obtains key pieces of personally identifiable information, such as Social Security or driver’s license numbers, in order to impersonate someone else.

What Can I Do To Protect Myself?

• Don’t share personal information online, such as your address, phone numbers, Social Security Number birth date, or birth place.
• Store sensitive personal and financial documents in a secure location, and shred them prior to disposal.
• Never carry around your Social Security card or share your number unless absolutely necessary.
• Never carry unnecessary credit cards and cancel credit cards you don’t use.
• Promptly retrieve your mail or arrange a hold with USPS if you are unavailable for several days.
• Opt out of prescreened credit and insurance offers by calling 1-888-567-8688 or go to https://www.optoutprescreen.com/ .
• Delete all personal information on electronic devices prior to disposal.

What Do I Do If My Identity Has Been Stolen?

1. Freeze Your Accounts: Contact your bank, companies where fraud occurred, and credit bureaus to place a freeze on your account. This makes it so no new charges can be made without your permission. A credit freeze is free to place and lift at any time by contacting the three credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.
2. Place a Fraud Alert: Even if you have a credit freeze, you can place a one-year fraud alert on your credit reports that tells businesses to further verify any time a new account attempt is made in your name. Fraud alerts are free and can be placed by contacting any one of the credit bureaus, who are then required to share with the other two.
3. Report It to the FTC: If you suspect identity theft, report it to the Federal Trade Commission. They maintain detailed advice and resources to deal with identity theft, including a personal recovery plan.
   • Report in English: IdentityTheft.gov
   • Report in Spanish: RobodeIdentidad.gov
   • Report in Another Language: call 877-438-4338 and press 3

Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Information: What to Know About Identity Theft: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-identity-theft