How to protect yourself from identity theft

You can protect yourself from identity theft by securing your personal information and closely monitoring your accounts and credit reports for signs of fraud. If you believe your identity has already been stolen, file a report at IdentityTheft.gov.

Identity theft is a common problem. In 2025, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 1.3 million reports of identity theft, with many involving credit cards, loans or bank accounts. Keeping your account information secure, practicing good cybersecurity habits and monitoring your credit will help you protect yourself in the long run.

For added peace of mind, consider signing up for Credit Karma’s identity monitoring services. Credit Karma will alert you if it finds your personal information has been leaked in a data breach. Credit Karma also provides credit monitoring services and can alert you to unusual activity on your Equifax and TransUnion credit reports. You can view those credit reports, as well as your VantageScore 3.0 credit scores from those two bureaus, online through Credit Karma for free.

• How can I keep my personal information secure to avoid ID theft?
• What are good cybersecurity practices to avoid ID theft?
• Can monitoring my credit reports, credit accounts and bank accounts protect me from ID theft?
• Should I freeze my credit?
• Should I set up a fraud alert?
• Next steps: What should I do if I think I’ve been a victim of identity theft?

How can I keep my personal information secure to avoid ID theft?

You can keep your personal information secure by protecting physical identification items like your credit cards and driver’s license, as well as by safeguarding devices that contain sensitive data, like your phone and laptop. By keeping this personal information physically secure, you can take away opportunities for bad actors to steal your identity.

Some physical markers of your identity and your financial accounts that you should protect include your …

• Credit cards
• Social Security card
• Birth certificate
• Passport
• Driver’s license
• Old financial documents

Here are some tips to help you protect these items.

• Don’t leave your wallet unattended.
• Don’t bring your Social Security card with you when you’re on the go.
• Shred old documents you intend to throw out.

You should also safeguard devices that contain sensitive data, like your phone or laptop. Make sure these devices lock automatically when not in use, and don’t leave a list of passwords where others could find it. Before you sell or give away devices like these, wipe the hard drives clean.

What are good cybersecurity practices to avoid ID theft?

To protect yourself from identity theft online, you need to practice good cybersecurity habits like using multi-factor authentication and password managers. Keeping your payment information safe online, such as by not saving your payment information with online retailers, is also a part of practicing good cybersecurity and can help you avoid identity theft.

Here are good cybersecurity practices to start with.

• Set up multi-factor authentication. This type of authentication means you’ll need two separate ways to verify your identity upon login, such as a password and a code that’s emailed to you.
• Use passkeys or password managers. A password manager can generate secure passwords using arbitrarily chosen characters, which are much harder for a thief to guess. Don’t use passwords that incorporate personal information such as your birthday, address or pets’ names.
• Use a trusted anti-virus software. Some devices come with this software built in. You’ll want to make sure you install security updates promptly, too.
• Use only secure websites. These are typically indicated by a closed lock by the address bar.
• Don’t save payment information on retailer websites. This can put you at risk any time one of those companies suffers a data breach. Instead, use a secure digital wallet, or enter your credit card information each time you pay. If you use a digital wallet, set the social sharing features to private so that others can’t see your transactions.
• Use credit cards when shopping online instead of debit cards. Because debit cards typically lack the robust identity theft protections that come with credit cards, it’s best to avoid using them online. Use your credit card — or better yet, a virtual version of your credit card, if possible.

Good cybersecurity also means staying alert and knowledgeable about scams. Stay alert for phishing scams, in particular. With phishing scams, a fraudster pretends to be someone they’re not in order to lure you into giving up personal information.

The scammer might claim to be from your bank, for example, and ask you to log in to an account, change a password or confirm information. If you get an email, call or text asking for verification codes, passwords or personal information, call the purported sender of the message at a phone number that’s publicly available — not a number that appears in the message — to check if it’s really from them.

Can monitoring my credit reports, credit accounts and bank accounts protect me from ID theft?

While monitoring your financial accounts and credit reports can’t prevent identity theft from happening, it can allow you to spot fraudulent transactions quickly, so you can prevent thieves from causing further damage.

Review your monthly billing statements to make sure you recognize everything listed in the account’s activity, and consider turning on transaction alerts. With these alerts, you’ll receive a notification each time something is charged to your account.

Errors on a credit report could also indicate identity theft, so be sure to read your credit reports carefully. Warning signs include …

• Credit accounts you didn’t open
• Hard inquiries you never authorized
• Incorrect addresses
• An employer you don’t recognize
• Medical bills that aren’t yours

You can get a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once a week at annualcreditreport.com. Credit Karma also provides free credit reports and VantageScore 3.0 credit scores from two of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax and TransUnion.

Should I freeze my credit?

The FTC recommends freezing your credit to protect yourself from identity theft. A credit freeze is a hold on your credit report that prevents lenders from viewing it until you lift the freeze. The purpose is to block anyone else from opening new credit accounts in your name. Caretakers may also want to consider setting up credit freezes for minor children and older adults.

Credit freezes are free, and they don’t affect your credit scores.

Putting a credit freeze in place requires contacting each of the three major credit bureaus individually. When you want to apply for credit, you’ll need to first contact the bureaus to lift the freeze.

Should I set up a fraud alert?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends placing a fraud alert on your credit reports if you believe that you’re a victim of fraud.

A fraud alert tells potential lenders that your identity has been stolen and requires them to confirm your identity before opening new accounts in your name. You can set up a fraud alert for free by contacting one of the three major credit bureaus. The bureau you contact will then notify the other two.

It’s free to place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and people do this even if they only suspect their information has been compromised.

There are two types of fraud alerts:

Next steps: What should I do if I think I’ve been a victim of identity theft?

If you think someone has stolen your identity, go to IdentityTheft.gov or call 877-438-4338 to report the theft to the FTC. You’ll receive a report and a recovery plan detailing the steps to take to regain control over your identity.

Once you’ve gotten your report from the FTC, bring it to your local police department to file a police report.

You should then set up a fraud alert with the credit bureaus.

It’s also a good idea to contact each credit bureau and freeze your credit. A credit freeze will prevent potential lenders from viewing your credit file until you lift the freeze.