Recently, I received an email informing me that there’s a chance that I may be the victim of identity theft.

SHIT! That’s not good. But it got me to thinking, what can I do to help protect myself from identity theft. Luckily, the email contained that information for me and I wanted to take a moment to share that with you.

Ways to prevent identity theft

• Remain vigilant by reviewing your various account statements and obtaining a free credit report.
  • To obtain an annual free copy of your credit reports, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call (877) 322-8228.
• If there are errors or suspicious activity on your accounts, immediately contact the appropriate company and inform them of the errors or suspicious activity. Confirm the address they have on file for you is your current address, and that all charges on the account are legitimate.
• Review your credit reports carefully for inquiries from companies you did not contact, accounts you did not open, or debts on your accounts that you do not recognize.
  • Verify the accuracy of your Social Security number, address(es), complete name, and employer(s) information.

If something is not correct

• If information on a report is incorrect, notify the credit bureau directly using the telephone number on the report. You can reach the credit reporting agencies at:

• Place a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit file. Credit bureaus have tools you can use to protect your credit which include fraud alerts and security freezes.
  • A fraud alert is a cautionary flag placed on your credit file to notify lenders and others that they should take special precautions to ensure your identity before extending credit.
  • A security freeze is a more dramatic step that will prevent lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit.
    • For more information about a security freeze, visit the credit bureaus at the following addresses:
      • Equifax – https://www.freeze.equifax.com/Freeze/jsp/SFF_PersonalIDInfo.jsp
      • Experian – http://www.experian.com/consumer/security_freeze.html
      • TransUnion – http://www.transunion.com/personal-credit/credit-disputes/credit-freezes.page
  1. • Report suspicious activity if you believe you are the victim of fraud or identity theft by filing a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of a crime to clear up your records. The report may also provide you with access to services that are free to identity theft victims.
     • You may also contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at (800) 908-4490. See identitytheft.gov/databreach for additional follow-up steps.

There are also different products from insurance to credit alert programs out there that can help you secure your identity and help you if you are the victim of identity theft.

Hopefully you will never need to use this information.

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