Identity theft continues to be a growing threat in the United States. We suggest keeping your personal information secure by following these tips:
- Store your Social Security card, passport, green card, financial documents, and unused credit, debit, or ATM cards in a secure location.
- Never provide your personal or financial information to a caller unless you initiated the call or other communication.
- Don’t send personal or financial information through email or text, as this is typically not secure.
- Shred documents that contain sensitive information before discarding.
- Sign up for online billing to easily and regularly monitor account activity.
- Choose a secure password for online banking. Avoid using passwords with information a fraudster could easily find out, such as your child’s name or your street name. The most secure passwords have a combination of letters and numbers that are not easily detected. For added security, we recommend you change your password on a regular basis and avoid reusing passwords on multiple sites.
- Review your credit report at least once a year to look for unauthorized accounts that are opened in your name. Consider freezing your credit to restrict access to your credit report to minimize the chance of identity thieves opening new accounts in your name.
- Receive a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus at annualcreditreport.com.
For more information on protecting yourself from identity theft and online scams, check out our latest blog for tips.