Identity theft: How to protect yourself from falling a victim

Identity theft occurs when criminals illegally acquire your personal information to open fraudulent accounts, run up debt, or steal tax refunds.

Protecting your identity requires active vigilance across physical documents, online accounts, and official credit reports.

Treat Social Security numbers and date of birth details with extreme care. Never provide sensitive credentials to unsolicited callers or suspicious email senders.

Regularly request your free credit reports from major credit bureaus to verify that no unauthorized loans or credit cards have been fraudulently opened.

Cross-cut shred outdated financial records, pre-approved credit offers, and tax documents before discarding them to prevent dumpster diving theft.

Evaluate identity monitoring and insurance policies that reimburse legal costs or credit restoration services in case of severe identity compromise.