Identity Theft Awareness

Identity Theft Awareness

February 1, 2024

Source: Federal Trade Commission

Identity theft can happen to anyone and it can come in many forms. Whether its someone using your name to open a credit card or to get a loan, identity theft can compromise your personal information and disrupt your daily life in a matter of moments.

The sad reality is, identity theft happens, but talking about it and identifying steps you can take if your information has been compromised can help you and your loved ones spot, report and recover from identity theft.

The Federal Trade Commission has so many great resources and tips available on their website and social media channels, including this 30 second video that identifies five ways to protect your information:

  1. Read your credit card and bank statements: if you see a transaction you don’t recognize, work with your financial institution to get details and act if necessary.
  2. Know your payment due dates: if a bill doesn’t show up, check it out.
  3. Review your health insurance statements: make sure that the claims match the care that you received.
  4. Shred documents: anything that contains personal and financial information.
  5. Review your credit report regularly: this can be done at AnnualCreditReport.com.

So, what can you do if identity theft happens to you?  Visit IdentityTheft.gov to report identity theft to the FTC and get a personal recovery plan. The FTC has recovery steps for over 30 types of identity theft that they can walk you through.