Ask your hotel to recommend reputable Internet cafes or WiFi spots before you do any online connecting. Also erase your online history after using a public computer.
If you get a supposed IRS email asking for personal or financial information, delete it or send it to the IRS at [email protected] for investigation. Don't be fooled by links to what looks like the real IRS website—that too could be a fraud.
The IRS doesn't initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages, or social media to ask for personal or financial information like PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks, or other financial accounts.
When in doubt, contact the IRS. If you think your identity has already been stolen, see Stolen Identity? Here's What to Do and visit Identitytheft. Also, keep an eye on your credit report and respond to any inaccurate information. It's also a good idea to file your taxes early—as soon as you can—before a scammer does.
If you need help straightening out your finances, dealing with debt collection agencies, or getting credit bureaus to remove fraudulent information from your credit report after an identity thief opens new accounts in your name, consider talking to an identity theft attorney, debt settlement attorney, or a consumer protection attorney.
An attorney can also advise you of all of the rights and the remedies available to you under federal and state law. The information provided on this site is not legal advice, does not constitute a lawyer referral service, and no attorney-client or confidential relationship is or will be formed by use of the site. The attorney listings on this site are paid attorney advertising. In some states, the information on this website may be considered a lawyer referral service.
Please reference the Terms of Use and the Supplemental Terms for specific information related to your state. Grow Your Legal Practice. Meet the Editors. Find out how to protect yourself from identity thieves.
Secure Your Personal Records Ensure that your personal information is safely secured, especially if you have roommates or employ outside help. Protect your trash by tearing up or shredding sensitive materials like credit applications or credit offers, insurance forms, medical statements, charge receipts, checks and bank statements, and canceled or expired credit and ATM cards.
If you have people working in your home, make sure your financial papers, credit cards, and other personal information are locked away. At work, verify that your personnel records are maintained securely and that sensitive records are shredded during disposal. Deposit your outgoing mail at the post office or in a post office collection box—not in an unsecured bin or mailbox—and collect your incoming mail promptly.
Pick up new checks at the bank rather than having them mailed. Don't leave your credit, debit, or ATM card receipts behind, like in a bank or a store, and never throw them away in public. First of all, know that identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes. To guard against the headaches, hassles and financial loss related to identity theft, remember these guidelines:.
Once you get your report study it carefully. While preventing identity theft is the best way to deal with scammers, you may still fall victim.
If you suspect that your identity has been stolen, act immediately. Contact your banks and all financial institutions, credit card companies and the three credit agencies listed above. You should also file a report with your local police department. Preventing identity theft is a job that every person should take seriously; it can happen to you if you are not careful.
Considering how damaging these thieves can be, preventing identity theft should be a high priority. For the Office. Print Email. To guard against the headaches, hassles and financial loss related to identity theft, remember these guidelines: Guard your Social Security number. Protecting this number is the most important part of preventing identity theft. You can also sign up for a free credit report and score from NerdWallet to receive alerts when there are changes.
Read financial statements. Make sure you recognize every transaction. Know due dates and call to investigate if you do not receive an expected bill. Here are some of the ways your personal information can be compromised:. When your wallet is lost or stolen, someone else may gain access to all the information in it.
Make photocopies of your credit cards, front and back, and keep them in a secure location so that you can easily call the issuer if a card or your wallet is lost.
Someone simply takes your mail or forwards your mail to a different address, so that you suddenly stop getting most mail. Choose a secure mailbox and retrieve mail promptly. Hackers may be able to see what you are doing when you use free public Wi-Fi.
If you choose to use public Wi-Fi, use a virtual private network service to create a secure connection. Hackers invade databases holding sensitive information, such as in the Equifax credit bureau hack of Almost everyone has been affected by a data breach. Assume that your data is already out there and take precautions accordingly.
Check your credit scores often — unexpected changes can be a clue — and read financial and insurance statements carefully. Monitor your credit reports, especially for new accounts or inquiries resulting from credit applications. This is when someone takes over your phone number. You may stop getting calls and texts, or you may get a notice that your phone has been activated.
Set up a PIN or password on your cellular account. Consider using an authentication app for accounts with sensitive financial information. Some fraudsters try to get you to disclose personal data, such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and banking information, by sending an official-looking email. Spoofing involves doing much the same thing with caller ID, so that the number appears to be that of a trusted company or government agency.
Do not give out personal data in response to an email or call. Find contact information from a trusted source, such as your bank website, and use it to verify whether the call or email is legitimate. Skimming is getting credit card information, often from a small device, when a credit card is used at a brick-and-mortar location such as a gas pump or ATM. Use cards with chips, which have added protections. Pay inside at the gas station if you can, because skimming devices are more likely to be placed at unmonitored payment sites.
Detect fraudulent activity early by setting email or text alerts that let you know when your credit cards are used. If a card is used without your authorization, call the issuer immediately. You may be told you have won something or even that you are in danger of being arrested. The caller claims to need personal, banking or credit information to verify your identity or to know where to send you money.
Be aware of common phone scams. The IRS, for example, does not initiate contact with taxpayers by phone or email or social media to request personal or financial information, nor does it call with threats of arrest or lawsuits. Fraudsters can learn a password just by watching your fingers as you key it in.
The information on your credit card can be photographed with a smartphone while you shop online in a public place. A business might leave sensitive information where people can see it. Cover your hand when you key in passwords or codes.
Opening an email attachment or visiting an infected website can install malicious software on your computer, such as a keylogger. That does what it sounds like — logs every keystroke, giving criminals access to passwords, account numbers and more.
Be cautious about clicking on attachments or links in emails and about the websites you visit. Use a password manager, which lets you avoid keying in login credentials. Start with that site, which is run by the Federal Trade Commission, and follow its recommended steps to make a recovery plan.
You may also need to contact your police department, the Postal Service and the credit bureaus. The IRS has a phone line for identity theft, at , and a taxpayer guide to identity theft on its website. You can also go directly to your credit card issuer if your credit card was lost, stolen or used without your knowledge. Reporting identity theft starts an investigation and the process of restoring your good name.
The exact steps will depend on the type of identity theft. Credit card issuers generally replace the cards with new ones with a different number, and you are back in business. Taxpayer identity theft or theft of benefits typically are resolved more slowly.
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