BBB: Reduce your risk of identity theft
The Better Business Bureau is warning people to safeguard their personal information during Identity Theft Awareness Week, which runs through Jan. 31.
“Identity theft is devastating for consumers as well as businesses in terms of potential money loss and disruption, so we must think about it all year long,” said Steve Bernas, BBB president and CEO. “Scammers have stepped up with new tricks. Being proactive on all fronts can reduce one's risk.”
Identity theft impacts consumers when cybercriminals fraudulently acquire and use someone's personally identifiable information (PII) for financial or personal gain. Scammers have all kinds of techniques to collect the necessary information. Some standard methods include email hacking, impersonation scams, phishing attempts, company data breaches, and accessing computers through unsecured wi-fi.
Scammers can effectively become you, using your identity to open accounts, apply for loans and credit cards in your name, file taxes, or obtain medical coverage. They may be able to withdraw money from your bank account. They also can sell your personal information, such as credit card accounts, medical history, and social security number, to others on the internet.
Detecting identity theft can be difficult. Here are some BBB tips to spot it:
• Look for unexplained withdrawals, charges, and accounts. Review your bank account and credit card statements regularly. Know when your bills are due; one tipoff for identity theft is when you stop receiving certain bills. This can happen because scammers have changed the address associated with your bank account or credit card. If bills don’t arrive on time, follow up with your creditors. Debt collectors may call you about debts that aren’t yours. You also can set up automatic alerts on your accounts, so you are notified every time a transaction is made.
• Check your credit reports regularly for unauthorized inquiries and accounts. In the U.S., you can check your credit report with each of the three major credit bureaus once per year at AnnualCreditReport.com. This is the only free crediting reporting service authorized by the Federal Trade Commission. However, the three credit bureaus have permanently extended the free checks and made that option weekly.
Protect yourself
• Be careful with your personal information. Ensure you shred documents containing your bank account information, Social Security/Social Insurance number, or other personal information. These include credit card applications, insurance forms, financial statements, health forms, and billing statements from utilities and phone services. Cut up expired credit and debit cards and cut through the numbers before disposing them.
• Secure personal documents at home. Ensure personal documents are in a safe place — preferably under lock and key — and not lying out in plain sight. Minimize personal information on checks. You don’t need to include your Social Security number, driver’s license, or phone number.
• Be alert to phishing attempts. Scammers are sophisticated; their phishing attempts may come via email, text, social media messages, or even phone calls. Be suspicious of any unsolicited communication asking you for personal information. That includes supposed tech support calls, an offer for a free cruise, or a charity plea.
• Ensure any website is security-enabled when entering financial or credit card information (https) and has a “lock” symbol on the address bar.
• Be careful about the types of information you share online, especially if it is information that could be used to get past security questions on your accounts (such as first car, first pet’s name, city where you were born).
Visit ftc.gov/IDTheftWeek for details on Identity Theft Awareness Week’s free events and resources. If you have encountered a scam, report it to BBB.org/scamtracker.