Every year during tax season, thousands of Americans fall victim to identity theft. Because of this, I thought I’d post an article detailing some of the free things I have done to protect myself and my family. If you have the financial means, some paid options include Zander insurance or LifeLock. But, just because funds are tight, doesn’t mean you’re out of luck to protect yourself. Here are a list of resources I use for what I call my own “personal lifelock” that are all FREE:

First

Put a fraud alert on our credit scores. A fraud alert requires you to be called in the event of a credit application being created in your name. It may be an inconvenience if you apply for a new credit card, but it will help catch someone trying to open a new line of credit or account in your name. This can be done by going to the Experian – Credit Fraud Center and Equifax – Alerts Online. Most alerts only last 90 day so it’s recommended to put a reoccurring event on your calendar to follow up on the renewal. It’s simple act and once completed, it will immediately help to prevent fraud or identity theft (for the next 90 days).

Second

To help reduce risk long-term, I make a request that my name be removed from all junk mail lists. Sure, junk mail may help keep USPS in business. But the fewer junk credit applications you receive, the lower the risk of someone digging it out of your trashcan. From your junk mail, someone could discover your personal information. This includes your name, address, and other personally identifiable information that may be used in committing identity theft. Here are some resources to get off those lists:

• Ecocycle.org has a great article on how to stop junk mail at How to Stop Junk Mail in 6 Easy Steps.
• The EPA posted an article titled “Put an End to Junk Mail” in 2009 with some interesting facts.
• Are You Drowning in Junk Mail? Start Here is a great reference containing information on eliminating junk mail.
• One of the most permanent things you can do is mail a written request to Opt Out Prescreen as outlined at optoutprescreen.com. This will ensure your name will no longer be eligible for inclusion on lists for firm offers of credit or insurance.
• DMAchoice is a mail preference service offered by the Direct Marketing Association that allows you to manage many types of mail and helps give you control over what’s delivered.
• There’s also an application that can help remove the clutter from your email inboxes. https://unroll.me scans your inbox and alerts you of the emails that you’re subscribed to. It also allows you to unsubscribe.

Third

It’s also important that you know your credit score. Why is this important? Knowing your credit score, as well as what accounts you have open, allows you to identify any unexpected changes or irregularities. You can access your credit score at Credit Sesame – Overview and by using the Experian – Report Summary. If you have children visit ID Theft Central and complete the required information to lock their credit until they’re 17. This is a must for all parents as it keeps someone from opening accounts in your children’s name. It is a great resource.

Additional resources offered by the state of Utah can be found by navigating to here.

That completes my list of resources. Have you done other things to protect yourself and your family from identity theft? I’d love to hear any other suggestions you’ve got in the comments below.

Resource update: Experian recently began offering a free dark web scan of emails. This allows customers to better know if their information is accessible on the dark web. This service can be accessed by navigating to www.experian.com/free-scan.

Photo Credit: Natalie Santano Photography