Reduce
the risk of identity theft
There
are many significant steps you can take to protect yourself, but
there is no silver bullet or magic solution, especially as you may
not be the one exposing your information. Publically-available
property tax records, court records, and housing records all make
finding information about you easier.
Follow
these steps to keep yourself safer from ID thieves:
Everyone above the age of 14 needs to
actively monitor his or her credit history.
You have the right to one FREE credit disclosure in a twelve-month
period from each of the three national credit reporting
companies—TransUnion,
Experian,
and Equifax.
The easiest way to get these reports is through
AnnualCreditReport.com,
a service created by these three credit institutions specifically to
help consumers get free annual reports. You can also pay credit
monitoring services to watch your account for you.
Consider if you want all, part, or
none of your information viewable in online directory searches. It
usually costs money to keep your information private (often referred
to as a privacy tax) but the few dollars it costs may be well worth
it to you.
If your identity has been stolen,
contact your bank(s) and other financial institutions immediately.
Contact local law enforcement and file a report. Contact your
insurance company. Freeze your credit with the three credit
reporting companies listed above.
If
you are a victim of identity theft, go to the FTC’s
Identity Theft Web site
to get information about additional steps you may need to take.
If
your reputation or images have been stolen, contact the Web site
where the abuse occurred and where the material is displayed. They
should work with you to take it down and discipline the offender.
Identity
theft victims should alert their friends and family. Your
identity theft means friends and family may also be affected,
depending on the information stolen or abused.
