January 29–February 2, 2024 is Identity Theft Awareness Week. Identity theft can happen through data breaches, losing or misplacing your personal identifying information (such as a wallet), online profile hacking, tax fraud, falsified health insurance claims, and much more.

Identity theft is quite common, so it’s important to remain vigilant about protecting yourself and your loved ones from it. Our personal identifying information is all over the internet, but fortunately there are steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of falling victim to it. Here are a few practices to get into the habit of:

• Read credit card and bank statements carefully and often
• Know your payment due dates
• Read your health insurance plan statements and make sure your claims align with care you received
• Shred any documents with personal information
• Review your credit reports at least once a year

Throughout this week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will host free podcasts, webinars, and more to help spread awareness of identity theft, and share more tips on how to spot it and what to do if it does happen to you. Or, you can explore their recommended resources now.

Think you’ve been a victim of identity theft? Report it and start the recovery process as recommended by the FTC.