Preventing identity theft has become more challenging due to AI and cyber-attacks, yet not impossible. Identity theft happens when a scammer steals personal information by either stealing a purse, stealing mail, installing an ATM skimmer, or through phishing attacks online. No matter how the thief gains access to your personal information the result will be the same unless you take precautions. Monitoring your credit reports regularly will ensure your credit and address history are accurate. A credit freeze will prevent identity thieves from opening new lines of credit using your name and social security number. Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion offer free credit reports and the ability to freeze credit, authorize fraud alerts, and report credit fraud.
If you haven’t yet switched to paperless billing and bank statements, do so immediately. The less personal information being sent through the mail, the safer your identity will be. When you receive a bill or a bank statement, look for charges you didn’t expect or don’t recognize. If you were expecting mail that never arrived, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service online or via their hotline at 877-876-2455 to report possible mail theft. Scammers steal mail to gain personally identifiable information that can lead to identity theft. One of the warning signs that your personal information was stolen and used to open fraudulent lines of credit will be a sudden drop in credit score. That’s why it’s crucial to check your credit score monthly.
We live in a digital world and data breaches and cases of identity theft are increasing because of advances in technology. Enable 2-factor authentication on all of your online accounts to prevent scammers from using AI-password cracking from stealing your personal information. And be extremely cautious before clicking links or downloading anything you receive via email or instant messaging apps. If you didn’t ask for it and weren’t expecting it don’t click it! Taking steps to prevent identity theft will reduce your risk of becoming a victim.
To report identity theft, go to IdentityTheft.gov or call the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-438-4338. Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently, and contact the Social Security Administration if you think your Social Security number has been compromised.