Identity theft reached a record high in 2017, impacting nearly 17 million Americans. The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) encourages you to take steps to protect your identity and personal information. Identity theft can happen to anyone, anywhere, and sometimes taking the appropriate precaution just isn’t enough. As soon as thieves have your personal information, they can drain your accounts, charge your credit cards, open new accounts, get medical treatment on your health insurance, and file taxes in your name – and even steal your tax refund.<
How do you know if your identity has been stolen? Be on the lookout for these key indicators of identity theft.
- You see suspicious transactions on your bank account that you don’t recognize.
- You find unfamiliar accounts or charges on your credit report.
- You get calls from debt collectors about debts that aren’t yours.
- The Internal Revenue Service notifies you that more than one tax return was filed in your name, or that you have income from an employer for whom you don’t work.
- You’ve stopped getting certain bills or other mail.
- Medical providers bill you for services you didn’t use.
- You’re notified that your information was compromised by a data breach.
What can I do if my identity has been stolen?
- Report it as soon as possible, and get a recovery plan.
- Depending on what information is lost or exposed, check out the steps you can take to recover.
How can I protect myself?
- Be vigilant.
- Monitor your bank and credit card transactions regularly.
- Shred unnecessary personal documents and unwanted mail.
- Check your credit report and credit score quarterly, or at least annually.
- Turn on two-factor authentication wherever possible. Enabling two-factor authentication on sites that have that capability, where a separate action must be taken beyond providing a username and password to access an account, can make it more difficult for fraudsters to take over your accounts.
- If necessary, place fraud alerts or security freezes on your credit files.
- Sign up for account alerts. Early detection via text messages and emails can help minimize the damage of identity theft.
The OFR offers Floridians a robust online Consumer Knowledge Center, where you can find more information on several financial topics.
