There are some crucial steps you can take to protect your information from identity thieves.
- Memorize your Social Security Number. Leave your Social Security card in a safe place at home, and not in your wallet. Do not write your SSN anywhere, unless it is absolutely necessary (such as a job or loan application). Never give out your social security number over the phone unless it is absolutely necessary.
- Do not respond to unsolicited requests for your personal information over the phone.
- If you think you may be a victim of identity theft, contact all three credit agencies (Equifax, Experian, Transunion) and request a freeze of your credit reports.
- Order your free annual credit report and make sure that you recognize all of the lines of credit listed on the report.
- Create complex passwords for your online accounts that an identity thief could not guess easily. There are programs (both free and at cost) that will manage your online passwords and create randomly generated passwords for you.
- Review your bank and credit card statements and look out for any transactions that you do not recognize.
From the Federal Trade Commission, this is a short video on five ways you can protect yourself from identity theft.
