 TITLE: How to Check for Identity Theft CONTENT: How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft\n-------------------------------------------\nThe more you're able to protect yourself from identity theft, the less likely you are to be victimized. These proactive measures are centered around keeping your personal data safe from prying eyes, and creating a stronger barrier between yourself and identity thieves:\n*   **Be mindful of your passwords.** Create strong passwords, and be sure not to use the same password more than once. Secure password managers like 1Password and Bitwarden are solid options that can help you keep track of them. In addition to keeping strong passwords, opt for two-factor authentication whenever possible and always password-protect your devices.\n*   **Never share personal information over the phone.** Legitimate institutions—including banks, the IRS and the Social Security Administration—will never call you and demand that you share things like your Social Security number or bank account number. Scammers, on the other hand, will.\n*   **Periodically check your credit reports.** Coming across suspicious activity on your credit reports, such as new accounts you don't recognize, is a quick way to identify potential fraud. You can get free copies of your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus through AnnualCreditReport.com. You can also check your credit report (and score) for free with Experian.\n*   **Be careful using public Wi-Fi.** Only use secure, trusted networks when banking, paying bills or doing online shopping. The safest place to handle sensitive needs is at home on your own network.\n*   **Monitor your mail.** If you set up an Informed Delivery account through the United States Postal Service, you'll get alerts of incoming mail before it arrives. (This way you'll know if something is missing.) It's also smart to shred any mail containing your personal information before trashing it.\n*   **Don't keep your Social Security card in your wallet.** The same goes for credit cards you rarely use. The fewer items you have in your wallet, the easier it'll be to clean up the mess if your wallet is lost or stolen.\n*   **Review notices from your health care providers and insurance company.** Look for anything out of the ordinary, like unfamiliar bills or dates of service that seem suspicious. These could be signs of medical identity theft.\nYou can create an account with Experian and sign up for free credit monitoring, which will alert you to things like changes in your credit score that can indicate fraud. You might also consider paying for the suite of identity protection services included in Experian CreditWorks℠ Premium. Experian CreditWorks℠ features include three-bureau credit monitoring, an up to $1 million ID theft insurance policy and dark web surveillance that monitors the dark web for your personal information. END