Each year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) leads Identity Theft Awareness Week, a national initiative held in late January on how to avoid identity theft, recover if it happens, and spot these scams before they occur. 

Identity theft is when your personal information is exposed; identify fraud is when someone uses that data to take over or open accounts, steal your tax refund, file fraudulent health insurance claims, and more. It can happen to anyone, but we can take steps to protect against it.

Monitoring your credit report is one of the best ways to spot errors or suspicious activity. You can get free credit reports from the main three credit reporting agencies—Equifax, Experian and TransUnion—at annualcreditreport.com. 

Freezing your credit is an effective way to prevent unauthorized accounts from being opened in your name, especially if you have no near term plans to apply for a loan or credit soon. Credit freezes are free, and you can freeze or unfreeze your credit directly through each agency. 

Also, make sure you use strong and unique passwords for all accounts (a password manager makes this so much easier), use multi-factor authentication when it’s available, and shred sensitive documents – dumpster divers are still out there. 

Learn how to spot and avoid scams with AARP Fraud Watch Network™. Suspect a scam? Call our free helpline at 877-908-3360 and talk to one of our fraud specialists about what to do next.

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Send an email to me@aarp.org.