Identity Theft
When your private financial information gets into the wrong hands, the consequences can be devastating. There are many ways you can help protect yourself daily, from taking precautions while online to checking your credit report periodically.
Take this quiz to see if you have the skills to avoid identity theft.

Steps to Take First in Case of Identity Theft
Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
Get your FREE Credit Reports from Equifax, Experian & TransUnion
Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to request your free credit reports. To ensure no one but you can access your credit information, you will be asked some security questions
that only you know. Make sure to have your records on hand. Avoid other sites offering free credit reports, they could be scams. AnnualCreditReport.com is the only federally authorized place to get free credit reports.
Federal Law entitles you to a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each credit bureau. It is a good idea to stagger your requests every 4 months so you can access your report throughout the year. Through December 2023, everyone in the United States also can get a free online credit report each week from each of the three credit bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Also, everyone in the U.S. can get six free credit reports per year from Equifax through 2026 by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. That’s in addition to the one free Equifax report (plus your Experian and TransUnion reports) that you can get annually at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Read your report carefully. If you spot mistakes this Federal Trade Commission about Disputing Errors on Your Credit Reports article will guide you on what to do. If you find suspicious activity, report it at IdentityTheft.gov.
Read about the Equifax Data Breach and Equifax Data Breach Settlement