Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

Learn how to protect your personal and financial information from identity theft. Know what to do if your information is stolen and used to make purchases, access credit, or conduct illegal activities.

• Federal Trade Commission

  • Check out the FTC's identity theft articles online in English and Spanish:
    • What To Know About Identity Theft
    • How To Protect Your Child From Identity Theft
    • What To Know About Medical Identity Theft
    • What To Know About Tax Identity Theft
    • Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts
    • Pass It On: Identity Theft
  • Get information in multiple languages about how to spot, avoid, and report identity theft at ftc.gov/languages, and share it in your community.
  • Watch and share identity theft videos in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean.
  • Order free identity theft publications at ftc.gov/bulkorder.

  

• Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

  • The Identity Theft I OCC page contains information on how identity theft works, common methods of identity theft, warning signs, and ways to avoid and report identity theft.
  • Identity Theft – HelpWithMyBank.Gov provides questions and answers on dealing with identity theft for customers of national banks and federal savings associations.
  • Safe Money | OCC is a series of informational fact sheets developed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to help consumers recognize and avoid common financial frauds and scams. Consumer fraud impacts millions of Americans every year and often results in financial harm. View and share these fact sheets to learn about the most common types of consumer fraud, how each type works, the warning signs, and how to protect yourself and others.

  

• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

  • Money Smart for Adults (MSA) is an instructor-led curriculum available in multiple languages, Braille, and large print that gives people practical knowledge, skills-building opportunities, and resources to manage their finances with confidence. The curriculum consists of 14 modules that cover basic financial topics, including protecting your identity and other assets, ways to recognize, respond to, and reduce the risks of identity theft, and strategies for protecting other assets.
  • Money Smart for Older Adults (MSOA) is a program in English or Spanish that raises awareness among older adults and their caregivers on how to prevent fraud, scams that include identity theft and medical identity theft, and other older adult financial exploitation.
  • Money Smart for Young Adults (MSYA) is an instructor-led curriculum that gives young adults ages 16 to 24 practical knowledge, skills-building opportunities, and resources they can use to manage their finances with confidence. This curriculum consists of 12 modules, including one on "Protecting Your Money and Your Identity”.
  • How Money Smart Are You? (HMSRU) is an online financial education game in English and Spanish with 14 self-paced modules and related resources about everyday financial topics to help people enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships. HMSRU includes a game module on protecting your identity and other assets.
  • FDIC Knowledge Center is a website of searchable consumer assistance topics. It includes information about identity theft.
  • FDIC Consumer News is a monthly newsletter that gives practical advice on how to become a smart, safe user of financial services.
  • Money Smart News is a monthly newsletter featuring tips, updates, and Money Smart success stories for financial educators. Subscribe at FDIC Subscriptions.

  

• Social Security

  • Publications/Infographics
    • Identity Theft and Your Social Security Number
    • Scam Alert
    • Scammers Impersonate the Government
    • Social Security Protects Your Investment
  • Websites
    • Scam Awareness Materials for Groups and Organizations
    • Protect Yourself from Social Security Scams
    • Fraud Prevention and Reporting

  

• National Credit Union Administration

  MyCreditUnion.gov is the official consumer financial protection website for the NCUA. This site provides timely and practical financial tips, interactive learning tools, fraud prevention information, and relevant financial resources such as: 

  • The Protect Your Money section to help recognize, report, and prevent fraud, identity theft, and cybercrimes.
  • Consumer Tips Videos, a series of brief videos that cover a range of important financial literacy topics such Helping Seniors Protect Their Money, Acting Fast To Protect our Money, and Protect Your Money with a Trusted Contact.
  • Find an Answer Tool, a searchable database of commonly asked questions to help you make informed financial decisions, resolve disputes with financial institutions, and discover fraud detection and prevention tips. 

  

• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

  • Investor Bulletin: Protecting Your Online Investment Accounts from Fraud
  • Investor Alert: Identity Theft, Data Breaches and Your Investment Accounts
  • Private Property: Keep Out! Protect Your Online Investments by Taking Control of Your Personal Information
  • Unsolicited Investment Pitches: Don’t Answer! Hang Up! Delete!

  

• U.S. Department of Labor

  • EBSA’s Online Security Tips
  • Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Report Unemployment Identity Fraud