As we close this series on safeguarding your identity, we hope you’ve found a wealth of ideas, tips and techniques to keep you safer every day and during this busy holiday season. The merchants with whom you do business are working hard to provide the best security, but even under the best of circumstances your personal data could be compromised.

This year to date, over 650 data breaches have been tracked, exposing in excess of 81 million data records. These data breaches occurred in every industry: banking/credit/financial, business, educational, government/military and medical/healthcare. (source: idtheftcenter.org)

In Georgia, a brief review of the breaches shows Fidelity National Financial, Sun Trust Bank, TotalBank, Home Depot, Cox Communications, UPS, Imhoff & Associates, CVS and Lowe’s. (source: idtheftcenter.org) Even governments have not been immune to data breaches. In Georgia, Heard County EMA, Macon-Bibb and other entities have been breached.

What should you do if you are a victim of identity theft?

1. Report it immediately: Contact the three major credit bureaus and ask them to place a fraud alert on your file. Also request that no new lines of credit are granted without your express approval.
2. Close your accounts: Immediately contact the fraud or security departments of your creditors and tell them you are a victim.
3. Call the police: Filing a report with your local police not only creates a valuable record, but could lead to the apprehension of the criminal. Get a copy of the official report to submit to your bank, the credit bureaus or the credit card companies.
4. File a complaint: The FTC needs to know about fraud. They maintain a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies.
5. Get more help if you need it: Other areas of your personal or professional life could aversely be impacted by identity theft. If you need to contact other resources, reach out! Trying to navigate the waters alone may only delay a positive result.

Don’t be afraid to shop till you drop this holiday season all around Douglasville, GA and online, but be attentive and take all the precautions you can to stay safe!

Safeguarding Your Identity – Part 1

Safeguarding Your Identity – Part 2

Safeguarding Your Identity – Part 3