How to Prevent Identity Theft

• Check your financial accounts and billing statements regularly, looking closely for charges you did not make.
   
• Obtain a credit report from each of the consumer reporting companies.

• Do not give personal information over the telephone, through the mail, or over the the Internet unless you know with know you are dealing.
   
• Shred old credit card & ATM receipts, old account statements, and unused credit card offers before throwing them away.

• Promptly remove mail form your mailbox after delivery.
   
• Carry with you only the minimum amount of identifying information and credit cards that you need.

• Maintain a list of identifying information and credit cards (include account and contact phone numbers). Make a copy information carried with you. Keep in a secure location.
   

What to Do if You Become a Victim

• Place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and review your credit reports.
   
• Close the accounts that you know, or believe, have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
   
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
   
• File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.

Sources & Links

Federal Trade Commission: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft

Annual Credit Report.com: To order your free annual report from the national consumer reporting companies:

Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion

Identity Theft: What to Do When it Happens to You - A Guide for Victims

U.S. Department of Justice: Identity Theft and Identity Fraud

What Should I Do If My Wallet or Purse is Lost or Stolen?