Protect Your Privacy and Identity

Simple steps to keep your personal data more secure.

Protect Your Privacy: Seven Simple Steps to Stay Secure

1. Check and Freeze Credit: Request to freeze your credit online with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Do the same for your children.
2. Monitor Financial Accounts: Review bank and credit card accounts frequently for unauthorized charges and report fraud immediately.
3. Guard Personal Information: Never share personal information over the phone unless you initiated the call to a trusted company. Don’t share personal details on social media.
4. Change Passwords: Update passwords every four months. Use a password manager for added security.
5. Avoid Suspicious Links: Don’t click links in unsolicited emails or texts.
6. Report Lost or Stolen Passport: Inform the U.S. Department of State in-person, by mail, or online at pptform.state.gov.
7. Report Stolen social Security Number (SSN): Call the U.S. Office of the Inspector General fraud hotline at 800-269-0271 or visit oig.ssa.gov. Children under 18 are 52 times more likely to have their SSNs stolen.

Identity Theft: Protect Your Data and Report Fraud

Identity theft (ID theft) happens when your Social Security number, bank account data, or passwords are stolen to commit crimes like fraud. ID theft can negatively impact your finances, credit rating, and personal life. 

Report the incident

• Contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at ic3.gov or 857-386-2000
• Call the Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Helpline: [phone], TTY: [phone] or visit consumer.ftc.gov
• Keep track of names, dates, and conversations when reporting an incident
• Tell the three credit bureaus:

TransUnion	Experian	Equifax
Transunion.com 800-916-8800	Experian.com 888-397-3742	Equifax.com 888-378-4329

Check your credit reports

Anyone can get free credit report once a year.

• Go to annualcreditreport.com to request your reports or call 877-322-8228
• Create a free online account with each credit bureau for easy report access
• Look for misinformation, request corrections, and report suspicious entries

Place a fraud alert with each credit bureau

A fraud alert requires that you are contacted before a new line of credit is opened in your name or changes to your accounts are made.

• Initial fraud: one-year alert for victims of ID theft
• Active duty: one-year, renewable alert for active-duty military members
• Extended fraud: seven-year alert for ID theft victims who filed a police report

Freeze your credit for free with each bureau

A credit freeze stops a bureau from releasing your credit report.

• You can temporarily unfreeze if you need a company to pull a report
• Freezing and unfreezing credit reports will not affect credit ratings

Be proactive

• Monitor bank accounts and credit card statements and report unauthorized charges
• Change passwords frequently and use multifactor authentication (MFA) for added security