Identity Theft Awareness Week: How to protect yourself.

Identity Theft Awareness Week is January 27-31. This week, we’re covering all things Identity Theft and offering up ways to protect yourself.

The most prevalent type of identity theft is credit card fraud, with nearly 400,000 incidents reported to the FTC in 2023 alone. Identity Theft can happen to anyone, but there are simple steps you can take to protect the personal and financial information of yourself and your loved ones.

How do I protect myself from identity theft?
Equifax, one of the three credit bureaus, offers the following suggestions to help secure your identity:

• Don’t carry multiple credit cards or sensitive documents like your Social Security card.
• Shred any documents with your personal or financial information, such as bank or credit card statements.
• Consider placing a freeze on your credit with the credit bureaus, which restricts access to your credit reports for opening new accounts or loans. If you apply for credit, you can temporarily unfreeze your accounts.
• Review your account and bank statements promptly for suspicious activity; better yet, enroll in online banking so that you can monitor account activity weekly or daily.
• Set mobile and online banking account alerts to help you monitor your account activity.
• Regularly review your credit reports to identify errors or changes. You can obtain free copies of your credit reports annually with each of the three credit bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com.
• Protect your mail. If you’re going on vacation, temporarily pause mail delivery. Avoid the use of postal service mailboxes that are not located within a USPS office as these are frequent targets for identity thieves.
• Use online banking bill payment whenever possible to avoid mailing checks altogether
• Secure all your computers, phones, and other wireless devices with password protection.
• Never share your personal information over the phone, through email or text; legitimate banks and service providers will never make that type of request
• Avoid using public WIFI even when it’s password protected.
• Don’t include too much personal information on social media.
• Create strong and unique passwords and regularly change them for all your online accounts.

Fraudsters work in the shadows to steal your personal or financial information, ruin your credit, and take over your online accounts. It’s crucial to stay informed and vigilant so you know what identity theft is, the warning signs, how to protect yourself, and how to recover.

Want to learn more about identity theft and how to protect yourself?
This Identity Theft Awareness Week, we’re equipping you with the information you need to protect your personal information all year round. Watch for new content all week long. Visit our Identity Theft Awareness Week webpage to learn more or drop by any office to pick up a free Identity Theft brochure.

bankESB is here to protect you.
Your security is our priority. To learn more about ways we can help you safeguard your accounts, contact us at 855.527.4111 or stop by your nearest office.