Via Oregon - November/December 2020 - 29

There are romance scams, giveaway scams, even inheritance
scams. It's something that can happen to anyone.

NICOLASMCCOMBER / ISTOCK

-JESSICA

WA R R E N , W E S T E R N U N I O N

key to minimizing the damage of identity theft.
Practicing that hygiene means using strong
passwords and two-factor authentication on your
accounts, filtering out spam, being wary of attachments, installing software that regularly checks your
computer for viruses and malicious code, and avoiding sharing details (such as your mother's maiden
name) on your social media accounts, which you
should always set to private.
You can strive to discover fraudulent activity
quickly by using two free tools available to consumers: credit reports and notifications from financial
institutions.
Annualcreditreport.com, a federally mandated
service, gives consumers access to a copy of their
credit report from each of the major reporting agencies-Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion-once a
year. These reports summarize all accounts open
in your name, including payment history and other
details. Your primary task when reviewing them is
to make sure everything is accurate. If you find an
error, open a dispute. (Pro tip: Rather than requesting all three reports at the same time, get a different
one every four months, which improves your odds of
catching any fraudulent activity early.)
Meanwhile, set up email or text notifications for
activity related to your debit cards, credit cards, and

bank accounts. This is the fastest way to uncover
any wrongdoing. These alerts, which can be set up
through each provider's website, are highly configurable. For instance, you could be notified immediately if your debit card is used outside the United
States, or if a transaction exceeds a certain threshold
(whatever dollar amount you choose).
To ratchet up your level of protection, you could
opt into an identity-theft protection service such
as ProtectMyID. These services, sold as subscriptions, keep tabs on changes to your credit report
and immediately alert you to anything fishy. If something slips through the cracks, they'll work on your
behalf to correct it, while protecting you from financial loss with a hefty insurance policy.

» Recovering from an attack
If, despite all your precautions, your identity is stolen, the best thing to do is take action right away. Call
your bank and credit card providers, change potentially compromised passwords, and consider putting
a fraud alert on your credit report.
In more severe cases, you'll need to take additional steps. The ftc outlines best practices online
at identitytheft.gov. Steps include freezing your
credit (asking each of the three major agencies to
stop issuing new credit in your name until you decide
otherwise) for extra security and reporting the crime
to the ftc and local law enforcement. Much of this
can be done online, and you'll want a "paper trail" if
your case ends up in court, as Moore's did.
Resolving an identity theft can take time and persistence, but failing to address it head-on can result
in bigger problems. "There is no shame in looking
after yourself," Moore says. "If you see something
wrong, don't wait. Get help immediately." ●
christopher null is a veteran technology journalist based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Protect your identity
AAA members save on accounts with
ProtectMyID. Visit AAA.com/protectmyid.

A A A | VIA

http://www.Annualcreditreport.com http://www.identitytheft.gov http://www.AAA.com/protectmyid

Via Oregon - November/December 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Via Oregon - November/December 2020