Ways To Stop Identity Theft

Shred- You can help stop identity thieves by using a crosscut shredder to shred everything with your name, address, and other personal information on it. This includes bank statements, invoices, receipts, bills, etc.

Firewall- Use firewalls, antivirus, and anti-spyware programs on your computer. Protect your phone the same way you would your computer. Use passwords that include numbers, symbols, and characters. Don't use commonly known information such as children's names or mother's maiden name for a password.

Check early and often- Visit annualcreditreport.com for a free credit report from all three reporting agencies. Investigate any suspicious activity and stay on top of it until the matter is resolved.

Keep it to yourself- Provide your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary. Never give out your number to anyone you don't know and trust, and never carry your Social Security card with you.

Avoid using the same username/password combination for your online banking login as you may use for other internet sites such as social media. Recent internet worms such as the Ramnit worm have successfully stolen username/password combinations used on some social media websites. Using the same credentials for multiple sites increases the risk of damage due to stolen username/password combinations.