ID theft

What is identity theft?

Identity theft starts with the theft of personally identifying information (PII) such as your name and social security number, credit card numbers, or other financial account information.

Identity theft is serious. Some victims can resolve their problems quickly; in rare cases, victims may even be arrested for crimes they did not commit.

How do thieves steal an identity?

Skilled identity thieves use a variety of methods to get your information, including:

Dumpster diving: rummaging through trash looking for documents with your personal information
Skimming: stealing credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card
Phishing: pretending to be financial institutions and requesting your personal information
Changing your address: diverting your billing statements to another location
Stealing: wallets and purses; mail, pre-approved credit offers; new checks

Prevent identity theft

The best way to prevent identity theft is to protect your personal and financial information.

Never respond to an email that asks for your password, social security number, or other confidential information. Reputable organizations will never ask you for this information via email.
Do not keep all of your identification and financial information in one place
Never write down your PIN or passwords anywhere

Payment on the internet

Never do business with a site unless it has "secure socket layer" protection. The letters "https" in the URL indicate this level of protection. (A website without this protection will have "http"--no "s"--at the beginning of its address.)

Be aware that a good hacker can fake an "https" address. If you are not 100% sure of the website, do not enter your information.