Spring Fling 2019: Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft

Take a look at your wallet. What do you see? Driver’s license, credit cards, lots of wadded-up receipts and a few pictures of your grandkids? To a thief, that wallet contains something more valuable: your identity.

According to the FBI, identity theft is the fastest-growing white-collar crime in the United States. Nearly 18 million people were victims of this crime in the U.S. in 2018. For many, it takes months before they realize it, usually not until they see fraudulent charges on their credit cards.

Other warning signs of identity theft include:

• Unexplained withdrawals from your bank account

• Unfamiliar accounts on your credit report

• Refusal of checks by merchants

• Missing mail or bills

• Calls about debts that aren’t yours

While nothing is foolproof, there are steps you can take to protect your identity both on and offline:

1. Limit the number of credit cards in your wallet.

2. Cut up expired credit cards and cancel inactive cards.

3. Choose PIN numbers that are not associated with you in some other way.

4. Do not give out personal information over the phone.

5. Regularly review your credit report and financial accounts.

6. Invest in a shredder, and shred all personal documents before throwing them away.