Tips on Preventing ID theft

In light of recent, high profile data breaches at Marriott and Quora and a new government report about Equifax’s breach, MASSPIRG and U.S. PIRG Education Fund is launching an online campaign to protect consumers as they use their credit and debit cards to travel and buy gifts this holiday season.

“Breached companies from Equifax to Marriott have failed to clearly explain the risks posed by their breaches and the steps consumers can take to protect themselves,” said Deirdre Cummings, legislative director for MASSPIRG. “Depending on what information thieves steal in a data breach, consumers could be victims of many different types of identity theft and fraud.”

The weeklong online “ID Theft Protection Week” campaign highlights tips for consumers to protect themselves from identity theft and other fraud.

MASSPIRG recommends that consumers take the following steps, whether their information was stolen in high profile breaches or not.

·         Existing Account Fraud: Check your monthly credit card and bank statements. Use credit cards instead of debit cards for all online and in-person purchases if possible. Consumers have more legal protections against fraud with credit cards and can also avoid having to wait for their banks to replenish funds stolen from checking accounts.

·         New Account Fraud (including cell phone, credit card, loan and utilities accounts): Get credit freezes at all three nationwide credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

·         Tax Refund Fraud: File your taxes as soon as possible, before thieves do. Also, if you qualify, get an Identity Protection (IP) PIN.

·         Social Security Benefits Fraud: Sign up for your “my Social Security” (MySSA) account before thieves claim it and change your direct deposit info to route into their checking accounts.

·         Health Care Services/Medical Benefits Fraud: Sign up for online accounts with your health care and insurance providers to periodically check for any fraudulent services on your statements.

·         Other Fraudulent Activity: Check your free annual consumer reports with companies that specialize in collecting information often misused by criminals.

·         Phishing Scams: Ignore unsolicited requests for information by email, links, phone calls, pop-up windows or text messages.

More tips for protecting yourself from identity theft and fraud are available here.