Identity Theft Can Happen to Anyone, Learn How to Stay Safe

One day, you open your mailbox and see a debt collection notice for money you don’t owe. Or maybe a medical bill for treatment you never received. Or a letter from the IRS saying you already filed taxes when you haven’t. These could be signs that your identity has been stolen.

What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information without your permission. Identity theft can take many forms such as:

• Opening credit accounts in your name
• Taking money from your bank account
• Using your health information to get medical services
• And more

Identity theft can affect anyone from any background and any age group. It can have devastating impacts such as lowering your credit score, being denied credit, insurance, housing and employment, and even make you responsible for charges you didn’t make. Personal information such as your social security number, account numbers, birthdays, health insurance information and your address can lead to identity theft.

Tips to Protect Yourself

Some tips we can provide to help protect yourself from identity theft are:

• Always maintain your personal documents and information in a safe, secure place in your home
• Shred documents with your personal information that you do not need
• Check all bank statements, credit card statements and health insurance statements to make sure all transactions were made by you
• Dispute inaccurate information immediately
• Make sure your laptop is password protected
• Do not provide your personal information on social media
• Freeze your credit if you do not need to use it to get a loan or mortgage
• Do not be afraid to file a police report immediately if you discover you are a victim of identity theft

Where to Get Help

If you think you might be a victim of identity theft, NNJLS may be able to help. Our Consumer Unit assists eligible residents in Bergen, Hudson and Passaic counties with:

• Identity Theft
• Problems with creditors or lenders
• Consumer fraud
• Unpaid medical bills
• Fair debt collection
• Fair credit reporting
• And more!

In addition to getting legal help, it is also important to learn how to protect yourself and understand your rights.

This week, January 26 to 30, is Identity Theft Awareness Week. There will be many live and online seminars from government agencies and financial institutions to educate the public about how to keep your personal information safe, how to protect yourself from identity theft and what to do if you think your identity has been stolen.

Visit https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/identity-theft-awareness-week to learn about free events happening this week.

NNJLS also hosts free, monthly “Know Your Rights” presentations on topics like identity theft, credit reports, federal taxes, and more. Visit nnjls.org/events to see upcoming presentations and topics.

This article was written by Hilary I. Nat, Esq., Assistant Managing Attorney of the Consumer Unit at Northeast New Jersey Legal Services.