Identity Theft

Did you get a notice that says a company lost your personal information in a data breach? Did you lose your wallet? Or learn that an online account was hacked? Here are steps you can take to help protect yourself from identity theft.

What can you do to keep your personal info secure? Are identity protection services worth the cost? What about credit freezes? Check out the FTC’s identity theft articles to find out.

You can help people learn about identity theft — whether you’re chatting with friends and family, sharing info on a social networking site, or taking resources to a religious group or PTA meeting. It’s easy to use and share these free resources from the FTC.

• Free Identity Theft Resources
  Free booklets — in English and Spanish — can help people in your community protect their identity and recover if an identity thief strikes.
• IdentityTheft.gov Presentation
  Use this PowerPoint to show how IdentityTheft.gov makes it easier to report and recover from identity theft.
• IdentityTheft.gov Video

Local police can help identity theft victims by:

• encouraging them to create an Identity Theft Report and get a personal recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov
• sharing free identity theft resources from the FTC
• taking a police report if asked. Some businesses require a police report to remove fraudulent debts from a victim's account.

The FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov can assist attorneys who counsel identity theft victims. The site provides victims with a personal recovery plan, walking through each step to take. It also provides pre-filed letters and forms to send to credit bureaus, businesses, and debt collectors.

Many companies keep sensitive information about customers or employees in their files or on their network. The FTC has free data security resources — including free publications, videos, and tutorials — to help businesses of any size protect their customers and meet their legal obligations.