Identity Theft

What is Identity Theft?

Identity Theft is when someone uses your personal, financial or medical information without your permission.

Warning Signs That Identity Theft Happened to You

• You stop getting bills in the mail
• You see activity on your bank accounts that you didn’t do
• You get calls from debt collectors about debts that aren’t yours
• Your medical claims are denied because you’ve reached your benefit limit unexpectedly
• Your health plan won’t cover you because it shows a health condition you don’t have
• The IRS notifies you that more than one tax return has been filed or that you have received income from an employer that you don’t work for.
• You get a notice that your information was compromised from a company that you do business with.

How Does Identity Theft Happen?

• Your wallet or purse is lost, stolen or violated.
• Technological identity interceptors, ‘skimmers’ at gas pumps, ATM’s, cash registers, etc
• Information from public or other insecure wi-fi network traffic is stolen. A thief can also gather information from your own home wi-fi network if your password is insecure and they are within range of your network signal
• Failing victim to ‘phishing’ emails or other personal information gathering attempts
• By stealing records from companies you do business with. If you use the same password for multiple accounts then stealing a single password can allow access to multiple accounts
• Your personal records are found in your garbage

How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

• Review your financial institution records regularly and report any suspicious activity
• Refrain from logging into your financial institutions from public or insecure wi-fi networks. If you must, change your financial account password as soon as possible when you are on a secure network.
• Be sure to use complex and difficult to guess passwords. Do not use the same password for multiple accounts. Change your passwords at least every 90 days.
• Be aware of and identify credit card skimming devices. If you encounter one, do not use that terminal and report it immediately to the business representative and\or law enforcement
• If you receive an urgent email regarding one of your accounts, contact the institution directly through their customer support phone number or website. Do Not use the links or contact information provided in the email communication as they may be fake.
• If you receive a phone call requesting your personal information, do not share your information. Rather, hang up and call the institution back using the contact information you already have.
• Shred or burn any documents that contain person information before throwing in the garbage. Stagger disposing of shred contents so that the shredded documents are disposed of on different days.
• Never share your social security number unless you absolutely know and trust who you are talking to.
• Keep a paper list of account information and financial institution contact information in a secure location at home. Use this list to quickly contact all your financial institutions in the event of identity theft.
• Review your free credit report annually and address any issues immediately