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ID Theft Unit
Protect YourselfDownload a PDF of our Fact Sheet
Identity theft occurs when a thief uses personal information like your bank account or Social Security number to open a new account or get a new credit card in your name. By posing as a real person, the thief runs up bills but never pays, often leaving the unsuspecting victim with credit problems. Identity theft costs businesses billions of dollars each year, and it costs consumers their good names. Don't let it happen to you. Use these tips to protect yourself.
MINIMIZING YOUR RISK
- Keep items with personal information in a safe place.
- Be cautious about where you leave personal information in your home.
- Don’t carry your Social Security card with you.
- Order a copy of your credit report from each of three major credit reporting agencies every year.
- Destroy personal papers you don’t need.
- Before revealing any personal information, find out how it will be used and whether it will be shared with others.
- Pay attention to billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don’t arrive on time.
- Guard your mail from theft. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office. Promptly remove mail once it has been delivered.
- Put passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts, and avoid using easily available information like your mother’s maiden name, your birth date or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
- Don’t give out personal information over the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact and you know who you’re dealing with.
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