Identity Theft

Identity theft can happen to anyone!

From every purchase you make to the hundreds of records and documents with your personal information—it's all at risk. If your identity is stolen, you can spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars cleaning up your credit and struggling to get back your good name. Fortunately, there are things you can do right now and action you can take to protect you and your family against this emotionally and financially devastating crime.

• Every 3 seconds another identity is stolen
• On average, victims spends 300-600 hours just to prove their innocence
• Most people are unaware of identity theft until they get a call or letter from a collection agency or the IRS telling them they owe money
• Over $60 billion per year is lost to identity theft
• Your credit cards, banking information, medical records, loan information, public records, internet activities, DMV and school records are all vulnerable to identity theft

Here are a few things you can do to protect your identity

• Check your credit reports from all three bureaus
• Opt-out of unsolicited credit card offers
• Put fraud alerts on your credit report
• Use a shredder to dispose of documents

One option to protect you and your family from identity theft is to engage the services of a company that specializes in identity theft protection. There are many companies and plans available to choose from; the best ones offer a guarantee and provide a wide range of safeguards, monitoring, and detection methods. It is always a good idea to compare companies and plans to find the one that best fits your needs.

To learn more about how to protect you and your family from identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched a website which is a one-stop national resource to learn about the crime of identity theft. It provides detailed information to help you deter, detect, and defend against identity theft click here.