Experts: Securing personal information is essential to protect yourself from fraud
A credit freeze is the best way to protection your financial data
InvestigateTV - Securing your personal data is essential to your financial well-being, as the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reported that 47% of American adults have had their personal information exposed.
Whether it’s personal information comprised during data breaches or you unknowingly shared your data with scammers, security experts said there is information circulating online about each of us.
James Lee the COO of the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) said credit monitoring is a great service that alerts you if a new account is opened under your name.
Lee suggested that in addition to credit monitoring, a credit freeze is something you should really consider since it’s the only thing that can stop a new account from being opened in your name.
He said credit monitoring has a place and you shouldn’t turn it down if it’s offered for free, but also warned it could lead to a false sense of security because monitoring alone doesn’t stop the crime from happening.
The ITRC has other suggestions for protecting your information including these top tips:
- Use a unique username and password at least 12 characters long for each online account
- Use multifactor authentication whenever possible
- Avoid public or unsecured WiFi networks
If you have been a victim of fraud, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) here.
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