Identity theft is the illegal use of another person’s identity and personal information to commit fraud. This can include opening lines of credit, obtaining loans, or making charges against existing accounts in that person’s name. According to the Federal Trade Commission, 1.3 million people were victims of identity theft in 2009.
Adopt a security-minded attitude. For example, keep your social security number and account information in a safe place, shred or cut up documents with account numbers before disposing of them, don’t give personal information to anyone unless you’re sure they’re legit.
As you would offline, don’t give out personal information, unless you know who it is. Don’t click on links in unsolicited emails. These can take you to sites that look legitimate, but are actually phoney look-alike sites designed to steal personal information. Be on the lookout for URLs that are similar, but misspelled. Never ‘test’ a site you’re unsure of. Leave it immediately.
While you’re deployed, it can be difficult to monitor your accounts. You can help protect yourself by placing an Active Duty Alert on your credit report. This requires creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before granting credit in your name. You can activate this special protection for service members by contacting any one of the three major credit-reporting bureaus — Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion.
You should act quickly to mitigate any potential damage. File a report with your local or military police. File a Fraud Alert with one of the three credit-reporting bureaus. Close any accounts that have been illegally opened or affected. Contact the fraud or security departments of any companies that are affected by the theft. Be sure to keep records for future reference.
There’s no way to keep yourself 100% safe from identity theft, even if you take every precaution. That’s why it’s important to routinely check billing and other account statements, as well as your credit report, for signs of a problem. Red flags include:
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