Protect Your Identity in 2023

A close up of a corner of a UK driver's license

One resolution we should all have for the new year is to better protect our identities. Fraud and identity theft-related scams continue to rise each year, so it is important to build better habits - online and off - to protect ourselves from crime, fraud, scams, and identity theft. We offer a comprehensive Identity Theft Protection Service that provides continuous monitoring, unlimited recovery of your identity if you are compromised, and we help educate you on ways to protect yourself from identity theft. Learn more about our Identity Theft Protection Service and read on for a few Identity Theft Protection tips:

A scammer who steals your personal information can do many things with the data, including buying houses or vehicles, get medical services or change your medical records, open bank accounts, get credit cards, rent properties, and even get in trouble with the law, all using your name and personal information. Identity theft can happen to anyone; your personal information can be hacked from a store's database after you've made a purchase, for example, but there are a few things you can do to lessen the chances of being the victim of identity theft:

• Don't carry your Social Security Card with you. Put it in a safe place and only give the number out when absolutely necessary.

• Vet people and organizations you give your personal information to; don't share your personal information (SSN, birthday, bank account number, driver's license number) with someone just because they ask for it.

• Don't let your mail build up in an unsecured location. Make sure to pick it up every day or put your mail on hold at the Post Office if you're going to be away from home.

• If your phone has security features, use them!

• Use a VPN when using public WiFi, and make sure your firewalls are updated.

• Periodically review your bank and credit card statements to reconcile receipts and transactions.

• Keep track of your billing cycles, and if a bill is late, contact the issuer to find out why.

• Shred credit card offers and expired credit cards, and, when you're through with them, shred account statements and receipts, as well, as scammers can (and do!) dig through trash for personal information.

• Keep all your personal information in a safe place.

• Install firewalls and anti-virus/anti-malware software on your computers.

• Use unique, complex passwords for each different site you log in to.

• Change your password at a site if they tell you they've had a data breach.

• Review your credit reports periodically to make sure they don't include accounts you haven't opened

• Freeze your credit files with the credit reporting bureaus. This is a free service that will prevent a scammer from applying for credit or utilities in your name.

If your identity is compromised, we are the ONLY company with dedicated Licensed Private Investigators who will immediately begin restoring your identity back to exactly the way it was. Worry less and live more with our Identity Theft Protection Services!