The first week of February is Identity Theft Awareness Week, which is a good time to think about a sobering reality: your personal information has most likely already been stolen.
Many entities have our personal information – credit card and bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, and health-related information – and data breaches have exposed it. So, what can we do to protect ourselves after the fact?
Here are three steps to protecting yourself against identity fraud.
- Place a security freeze on your credit accounts with the three big agencies so no one can open a new credit line in your name.
- Establish online access to your financial accounts and monitor regularly (you can typically set up text alerts for activity on these accounts).
- Use unique passwords for every online account; consider purchasing a password manager that creates complex passwords and stores them securely.
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim.
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