Discuss How to protect against identity theft Protecting Against Identity Theft

Identity Theft Prevention 

Theft  Identity theft is a growing and serious problem with serious consequences. There are many steps you can take to ensure your safety. First, you need to secure your personally identifiable information. PII includes your Social Security number, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, passwords, and driver’s license number (Cruz, 2019). Avoid carrying unnecessary PII and update passwords and PINs regularly to your accounts.   Monitoring your financial accounts is another important thing (Engel 2020). Register for fraud alerts from your bank or credit card company to be notified of any suspicious activity. To ensure there has been no theft, you should check your credit reports at least once per year. Identity theft protection services can be accessed to monitor your identity.   Finally, be aware of “phishing” scams, in which criminals posing as legitimate entities email or call to request sensitive PII (White & Margolies, 2015). Reputable companies will not ask for your PII through email or by text message. If you receive unsolicited contact, call or visit the company’s website before responding.  To conclude, identity theft protection requires awareness and diligence from individuals. Protecting your identity can be as simple as being mindful of what you have stored in your PII and monitoring the financial accounts regularly. Phishing scams are also easily avoided.  Cont…