• Review your credit card and bank statements carefully and often. If you see a charge you do not recognize, contact the fraud department of the financial institution to dispute it and have the compromised card deactivated.
  • Consider placing a credit freeze (also known as a “security freeze”) on your credit files. With a freeze in place, credit reporting agencies may not release your credit report or credit score unless you first remove the freeze by providing the password. Since lenders and creditors rely on access to a consumer’s credit file to determine whether to extend someone credit, a credit freeze prevents an identity thief from opening a new credit account in your name. To place a freeze, you must contact all three credit reporting agencies: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. 
  • Review each of your three credit reports at least once a year. Visit annualcreditreport.com to get your free reports. Georgia residents are entitled to an additional two credit reports from each of the three credit reporting agencies; for those additional copies, you must contact the credit reporting agencies directly. Now through December 31, 2022, you can get free weekly credit reports from the credit reporting agencies.
  • File your taxes early to reduce your risk of tax identity theft. 
  • Do not respond to phone calls, emails or text messages requesting your personal or financial information. If you think the message might be legitimate, look up the phone number on your bill, account statement or through an Internet search and call that number to confirm.
  • Read the statements from your health insurance plan. Make sure the claims paid match the care you received.
  • Do not keep your Social Security card in your wallet. 
  • Before discarding any bills, statements or other documents containing personal or financial information, make sure to shred them or burn them.