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Identity Theft

Identity Theft occurs when a thief uses any bit of your personal information to commit fraud or theft.  Arizona leads the nation in the number of reported cases of Identity Theft.  Preventing cases of Identity Theft is a difficult task, however there are several precautions you can take to reduce your risk of becoming a victim.

Identity thieves obtain your personal information in many ways.  They steal wallets and purses, burglarize homes, raid mail boxes, and rummage through garbage cans looking for names, dates of births, financial information and social security numbers.  They may break into business offices to take data files or hack into computer systems looking for personal identifiers.

A thief may even call, write, or e-mail a victim posing as a representative from a bank, or other company, requesting your personal information and account numbers.

If you become a victim of identity theft, file a report with your local law enforcement agency.

Protect Your Personal Identity

  • Never provide personal information and account information over the phone – unless you initiated the call to a known company or financial institution.
  • Do not respond to sweepstakes and prize offers that request personal information or money in advance.
  • Protect against having your wallet or purse stolen.  Keep them out of plain sight in cars and guard them while working or shopping.
  • Use a locking mailbox or deliver outgoing bills directly to the post office.
  • Check your mailbox daily.
  • Never use your social security card as identification.
  • Try to limit your use of debt cards as much as possible.
  • Cancel credit cards that you do not use.
  • Check your credit report at least once a year for suspicious activity.
  • Cross-cut shred any papers with personal information prior to discarding.
  • Maintain current firewalls and virus protections on your computer.
  • Delete personal files from your computer before discarding or donating.

The Federal Trade Commission  offers a comprehensive web-site dedicated to the prevention of fraud and identity theft.

The Office of the Arizona Attorney General  also provides information.