Protecting Your Identity

Tips To Protect Your Identity

  1. Reconcile your bank and credit card statements monthly. Make sure that there is nothing suspicious or out of the ordinary on your statements.

  2. Guard your Personal Identification Numbers (PINs). Do not keep your PIN with any of your credit or ATM cards.

  3. Be wary of “phishing” emails that appear to be from a valid company or financial institution requesting confidential information. Legitimate organizations typically do not send unsolicited emails asking for confidential information. Do not reply to these emails or click on links embedded within them.

  4. Report lost or stolen checks or credit/debit cards immediately.

  5. Pay bills online or use a locked mailbox to avoid mail theft. You are less likely to have your personal information stolen online than from your mailbox. Have your new personal checks delivered to your local financial institution.

  6. Check your credit report at least twice a year. The three major credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, Transunion) are required to provide you with one free credit report a year. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com to obtain yours.

  7. Do not give out information such as checking account, credit/debit card or social security numbers over the phone unless you initiated the call.

  8. Avoid passwords that are easy to discover like your mother’s maiden name or your birth date. Regularly change your passwords. Also, create a username that is unique and difficult for others to guess.

  9. Shred all documents containing personal information, such as charge receipts, insurance forms, physician statements, bank statements, copies of credit applications, expired charge cards that you are discarding, and any credit offers you get in the mail.

To opt out of receiving prescreened offers of credit in the mail, call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT. Note: You will be asked to provide your social security number which the consumer reporting companies need to match you with your file.

  1. Be alert to signs that require immediate attention:

  • Bills that do not arrive as expected

  • Unexpected credit cards or account statements

  • Denials of credit for no apparent reason

  • Calls or letters about purchases you did not make

  1. Don’t carry your social security card in your wallet or write your social security number on a check.  Make sure the companies you deal with need your social security number for valid purposes, not just for general recordkeeping, before you give it to them.

  2. Be on guard when using the internet.