Safeguarding your Identity – Tips & Resources
Protecting oneself from identity theft is paramount in today’s digital age where personal information is vulnerable to exploitation. By safeguarding sensitive data such as social security numbers, financial account details, and passwords, individuals can mitigate the risk of falling victim to identity theft. Taking proactive steps to protect one’s identity is essential for maintaining financial security and peace of mind in an increasingly connected world.
Below you’ll find some tips and resources for helping keep your information safe.
Resources for victims of identity theft:
Free Annual Credit Report: By Federal law, everyone is entitled to receive a free copy of their credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) once a year. This is the only website authorized by the Federal government to provide those free reports.
Important Tips:
- Never e-mail anything containing personal information, including Social Security Numbers, copies of Driver Licenses or Passports, account numbers, or online passwords.
- Do not open attachments or click links in e-mails from unknown senders.
- Use secure file sharing websites with professional service providers to avoid sending personal information through unsecure e-mail.
- Use strong, unique passwords for every website. Do not use the same password for any online accounts.
- Consider using a password vault to manage your passwords instead of writing them down.