10 ways to protect your personal information

Identity theft affects millions of people each year and can cause serious harm.

- Patrick L. Robinson, Sr

Protect yourself by securing your personal information, understanding the threat of identity theft, and exercising caution.

Here are 10 things you can start doing now to protect yourself and your loved ones from identity theft:

Protect your Social Security number by keeping your Social Security card in a safe place at home. Don’t carry it with you or provide your number unnecessarily.

Be careful when you speak with unknown callers. Scammers may mislead you by using legitimate phone numbers or the real names of officials. If they threaten you or make you feel uneasy, hang up.

Create strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts. Use different passwords for different accounts, so if a hacker gains access to one account, they can’t access others.