Identity fraud prevention

The contents inside your purse or wallet provide endless personal information. When everyday essentials are stolen or go missing, identity fraud can often follow.

There are a number of ways you can protect yourself and your identity:

• Always secure your purse and wallet in a safe place.
• Carry only essentials. Leave the rest of your cards and critical documents in a discrete, burglar-proof space.
• Check your free credit report annually from each of the national credit reporting agencies:
  Equifax, Experian, Transunion.
• Be careful about sharing personal information on social media..
• If you receive a data breach notice, monitor your accounts closely.
• Do not put account numbers or any other unnecessary information on envelopes of outgoing mail.
• Know when credit card statements arrive and if they are late, call.
• Shred old bills and other unnecessary financial records.

Get additional tips for protecting your identity while shopping at the store or online.

Consider buying identity fraud insurance, a relatively inexpensive add-on to your renters’ or homeowners’ insurance policy. This coverage typically reimburses the cost of reclaiming your identity and rebuilding your credit, such as attorneys’ and notary fees and replacement of IDs. It is a low-cost investment against a high-expense crime.