Prevent identity theft with essential tips

Published on January 22, 2024

A good way to ensure that 2024 will be a great year is to protect yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft. Identity theft can have devastating consequences, such as monetary losses, lower credit scores and unwanted stress from recovery efforts. Please consider taking the following precautions to avoid being a victim of identity theft:

• Shred the following documents: bank statements, credit card bills, tax forms and other documents that contain private financial information.
• Remove the shipping labels from your packages before disposing of them.
• Reset your online passwords. Use unique passwords for each account.
• Regularly monitor your bank account statements for signs of fraudulent activity.
• Take inventory of your important documents (social security card, passport, license, etc.) and report them missing or stolen if they are unaccounted for.
• Check your mailbox daily to avoid important mail being stolen.
• Do not share private information over the phone, legitimate institutions would not ask for this information.

Visit Menlo Park's Identify Theft page for more tips and resources.