Protect Yourself from ID Theft

If you think that you may already be a victim of Identity Theft, get help here.

Guard Your Personal Information

Protect Your Social Security Number

Keep your Social Security card somewhere secure—not in your wallet.
Give your Social Security Number (SSN) only when absolutely necessary.
Before you give someone your SSN, ask:
- Why is a SSN needed?
- Can you use a different identifier or just the last four digits?
- How will it be protected?
Don’t print your SSN or driver’s license number on your checks.

Destroy Documents You Don’t Need

Shred outdated records including bank statements, credit applications, health insurance forms, prescription labels and paperwork, physician statements, etc., along with any receipts that show your credit card number.
To learn about shred-a-thons in your area, check our events page.

Safely Dispose of Old Electronics

Make sure you have removed all personal information from your old computer before you sell, donate or recycle it. For best results, use a wipe utility program that overwrites everything on the hard drive.
Transfer contact lists, photos, etc. to your new device, and then wipe your old device completely clean. Consult the owner’s manual, the manufacturer’s recommendations, and your service provider for tips on how to remove all of your old data, histories, photos, etc.

Monitor Your Finances

Limit the number of credit cards you carry.
Watch for missing bills and review your monthly statements carefully. Contact your creditors if a bill doesn’t arrive when expected or includes charges you don’t recognize.
Review your health care bills and paperwork carefully for signs of medical identity theft. Contact your health plan if a document includes charges you don’t recognize.
Use automatic deposit for payroll, social security or other federal benefit checks. To sign up for automatic deposit of Social Security checks and other federal benefit payments, call 1-877-874-6347 or visit Go Direct.
Keep copies of credit cards (front and back) in a safe place in case a card is lost or stolen.
Review your Social Security Statement for errors in your yearly salary. For workers age 60 and older who do not have an online my Social Security account, you will receive your Social Security Statements three months prior to your birthday.

Watch Over Your Credit Reports

You are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from each nationwide credit bureau (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). To get your free report, go to www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.
To track your credit during the year, you can create a free account with the credit bureaus to access your credit report.

Get a Free Security Freeze

Stop identity thieves from getting new credit in your name by placing a security freeze on your credit.
All North Carolina consumers can get free security freezes online.
Parents and guardians can get a special Protected Consumer security freeze to help protect a child or an incapacitated adult against identity theft.

Protect Passwords

Don’t carry your personal identification numbers (PIN) in your wallet or purse.
Don’t share PINs or passwords, even with close friends or relatives.
Avoid using easily available information for your PINs or passwords such as your mother’s maiden name, your or a family member’s birth date, your SSN or phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4).
Avoid using information for your PIN or password that could be easily guessed based on information you post on social networking sites, such as the names of your children or pets.
Choose a different PIN for each account.
Consider using passkeys instead of passwords, and for accounts that require a password, use a password manager.
Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all sensitive accounts to add an extra layer of defense.

Protect Your Mail

Call 1 (888) 5-OPT-OUT or visit www.optoutprescreen.com to stop pre-approved credit card applications that a thief could steal and use to get credit in your name.
Place outgoing mail into a locked mailbox such as a blue postal service box.
Don’t leave incoming mail sitting in an unlocked mailbox.
Cut down on junk mail by contacting the Direct Marketing Association.

Protect Your Information Online

Beware of phishing, emails that claim to come from a bank, Internet Service Provider, business or charity and ask you to confirm your personal information or account number.
Never send your SSN or financial account numbers by email or transmit these numbers online unless using a secure website or encryption software.
Report phishing and spam emails to your email provider.
Shop only on secure websites, and read website privacy policies.

Guard Your Computer

Keep your operating software up to date.
Install a firewall.
Secure your wireless router and use the built-in encryption mechanism. To encrypt your network, simply update your router settings to either WPA3 Personal or WPA2 Personal. WPA3 is the newer encryption available, but both will work to scramble your information.
Check your computer for “spyware” and install software that will protect against spyware downloads such as “key-logging” spyware that records your keystrokes.
Use a password to protect your computer, smartphone, and other devices.
Only store financial account information on a computer, smartphone, or device using encrypted folders, password managers, or secure cloud storage to protect your data.
Use a password manager to store PINs and passwords instead of writing them down or storing them in an email or notes app on your computer, smartphone, or other device.
Use Wi Fi wisely.

Guard Your Email

Never send your Social Security number (SSN), bank account or credit card numbers by email, and never give out personal financial information in response to an email unless you encrypt it.
Beware of emails that ask you to confirm your personal information or account number, even if the email appears to come from a business, bank or charity you know. This is called phishing.
Don’t respond to emails that ask for your help transferring money, especially from overseas. This is a form of an Advance-Fee Fraud or 419 Scam.
Delete emails that contain confidential information.
Check with your Internet service provider about security features such as how to block spam.
If you suspect hacking or email tampering, report it to your local law enforcement.
Be careful about clicking links provided in an email, and never click on links sent by someone you don’t know.

Guard Your Personal Information

Only provide your SSN or financial account numbers online through valid, secure websites. A secure website’s address will change from http to https.
Be cautious about providing any personal information online, but keep in mind that some government sites and the credit bureaus require such information. Read privacy policies and ask how your personal information will be used.
Don’t post personal financial information on social networking sites or in chat rooms.
Beware of websites that ask personal questions or require a credit card number to enter the site.
Before you do business with a company online, check them out with the Attorney General’s Office by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or check with the Better Business Bureau.
Choose an alias as a user name and use an alternate email address for online shopping, Internet auctions and other online transactions.
When selling goods online, watch out for counterfeit checks and money orders. Never agree to wire excess payments back to the buyer or to someone else.

Beware of Scams & Frauds

Never give personal information to telemarketers who call you on the phone. To cut down on unwanted telemarketing calls, sign up for the Do Not Call Registry online or call (888) 382-1222.
Double-check references for door-to-door sales, home repair offers and other products.
Verify that charities, businesses and others who contact you are who they claim to be before you provide any personal information. If you think the request for information is legitimate, hang up and contact the company at a number you know is valid to verify the request.
Sign up for alerts to hear about the latest scams.