According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft accounted for 444,602 reports of fraud in 2018. Of identity theft reports to the FTC, 77,471 were from victims aged 18–29.
Deter, Detect, Defend
- Deter thieves by safeguarding your information.
- Detect problems by monitoring your financial accounts and checking your billing statements.
- Defend yourself as soon as you suspect a problem.
The FTC maintains a 24-hour hotline at 1.877.438.4338 that offers victims of identity theft immediate assistance.
Social network users are often targeted for identity theft. Take protective measures like:
- Using anti-phishing filters
- Exercising caution when dealing with anyone who asks for money or personal information
- Using the highest possible privacy and security settings for your social media accounts
Victims of tax-related identity theft may lose the ability to obtain tax return transcripts or use the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which can delay FAFSA verification and disbursement of federal student aid. If you think you are the victim of tax-related
identity theft, call the IRS at 1.877.438.4338 for assistance.
After verifying your identity, the IRS will mail you a printout of your federal income tax return information, to be used for financial aid verification.
If you are the victim of identity theft, follow these steps to protect yourself:
- Immediately contact the FTC through its website or by phone at 877.438.4338.
- Contact the fraud department of any one of the four major credit bureaus.
- Equifax: 800.525.6285
- TransUnion: 800.680.7289
- Experian: 888.397.3742
- Innovis: 800.540.2505
- Close the accounts that have been compromised.
- File a police report.
- Retain evidence of identity theft for your personal records.
- Contact other agencies that may be involved.
- The Social Security Administration Fraud Hotline: 800.269.0271
- The U.S. Postal Inspection Service: 888.877.7644
- The IRS: 800.829.0433