Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes.   While it’s not 100% preventable, there are things you can do to keep the odds in your favor.

Recognizing ID theft.
1. Bills arrive for a credit card that you never opened.
2. Your credit card bills include charges you didn’t make.
3. Your bank statement contains unfamiliar transfers or withdrawals.
4. You ordered new checks, but they haven’t arrived in the mail.
5. Lenders deny your requests for credit despite your good credit standing.

How you can avoid ID theft.
1. Closely review your credit card and bank statements each month for any unauthorized activities.
2. Call your bank or credit card company if a statement is late.
3. Never give out personal information over email, the internet or the telephone unless you initiate the contact.  Never respond to emails or telephone calls where your personal information is requested. 
4. Use intricate passwords for your email and internet accounts.  Avoid obvious passwords like your name spelled backwards or your birthday.  Use lower and upper case letters mixed with numbers and allowed symbols.
5. Shred documents that show your personal information.
6. Don’t leave outgoing mail in your own mailbox; instead, deposit mail directly at the post office.
7. Don’t carry your social security card in your wallet; store it in a safe place.
8. Only give out your social security number when it’s absolutely necessary.  Ask if you can use a different form of indentification instead.

Contacting consumer credit reporting companies.
The three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies are listed below.  Contact them in addition to your bank or credit card company if you’ve been the victim of fraud.
Equifax            1-800-525-6285         www.equifax.com
Experian         1-888-397-3742          www.experian.com
TransUnion    1-800-680-7289         www.transunion.com