IDF highlights identity theft prevention

While December may be over, the Idaho Department of Finance wants all of the state's residents to know there are steps they can take to prevent identity theft.

Identity theft is when a consumer’s personal or financial information is illegally obtained to commit fraud.

The most common form of identity theft was credit card fraud. The FTC received 441,882 complaints of stolen information regarding credit card misuse. Idaho ranked 40 out of 50 states for Identity Theft with 2,225 reports in this category last year. 

“As identity theft continues to rise, it is important consumers be proactive to protect themselves, especially in the digital space where many thefts can occur behind a screen,” Patricia Perkins, IDF director, said.

Idaho residents can take steps to reduce their risk of identity theft by:

• Monitoring their credit reports and freeze cards upon noticing suspicious activity.

• Creating strong and different passwords for accounts. 

• Utilizing two-step factor authentication. 

• Shredding documents that contain personal information.

• Not sharing personal information on social media. Never share your address, phone number, photos of personal IDs, or full date of birth on social media. 

• Download and use antivirus protection software.

IDF encourages individuals who have experienced identity theft to file a report online at www.identitytheft.gov.