I’m a victim of identity theft. Thieves stole my wallet out of my purse and were able to find out everything else they needed to steal my identity online. They exploited a system that the government, law enforcement and financial .
I’m a victim of identity theft. Thieves stole my wallet out of my purse and were able to find out everything else they needed to steal my identity online. They exploited a system that the government, law enforcement and financial institutions aren’t doing much to improve.
But there are quick and easy steps you can take that will decrease the chances of your identity being stolen, and help mitigate the damage if it is.
Freeze your credit
It takes 15 minutes to do this with the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian), and even less time to unfreeze when you’re applying for a loan. It is free to freeze and unfreeze your credit—you don’t need any paid „upgrades.“
Review your credit report at least once a year
You are eligible to get a free copy of your credit report from each bureau annually. Go through it and make sure everything looks right. Visit annualcreditreport.com to request yours.
Check your passwords
Make sure your sensitive accounts—things like your email and your bank accounts—have strong, unique passwords. If you use the same password everywhere, one account gets hacked and your data are leaked, then all of your accounts are vulnerable.
