Identity Theft

Identity theft is when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission. They might steal your name and address, credit card or bank account numbers, Social Security number or medical insurance account numbers. The information could then be used to make purchases, get new cards in your name, open a phone, electricity, or gas account, or even steal your tax refund or medical benefits

No one wants to be the subject of identity theft. If it happens to you, there are steps you can take, and the government is there to help at Identitytheft.com.

The important thing is to take all the necessary steps to prevent it.

Keep your financial records, Social Security and Medicare cards and any other documents that have personal information in a secure place. If getting rid of them, be sure to shred them.

Do not give out your Social Security number other than to the IRS, your bank, and your employer without asking why they need it. If they have a valid reason, try offering just the last 4 digits.

If you are logging in to an online account, use a strong password.

Do not give your personal information to someone who calls, emails, or texts you. They could be a scammer trying to steal your information.

In addition to taking steps to protect your information, there are things to do to detect identity theft.

Track what bills you owe and when they are due. If you stop getting a bill, that could be a sign someone changed your address or other information

Review your bills for charges that don’t belong to you

Check your bank account for withdrawals not made by you

Get and review your credit reports, as accounts you don’t recognize could be a sign of identity theft. Many companies sell identity theft protection services that may include credit monitoring, identity monitoring, identity recovery services, and identity theft insurance. These services may be offered by your bank or credit union, credit card provider, employer’s benefits program, or insurance company. Also, there are credit monitoring services like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion that offer these services as well.

Identity monitoring services may notify you of a change of address request, court or arrest records, orders for new utility, cable or wire services, application for a payday loan, information on websites that sell stolen identity information.

Most will not notify you if someone uses your information to file a tax return and collect your refund, get Medicare benefits, get Medicaid benefits, get welfare benefits, claim Social Security benefits, or even claim unemployment benefits.

If you discover that someone is misusing your personal information visit:

WWW.IDENTITYTHEFT.GOV

Courtesy of Federal Trade Commission