Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information, such as your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes.

To protect yourself from identity theft, you should regularly monitor your credit reports, use strong and unique passwords for your accounts, be cautious of phishing scams, and avoid sharing personal information unnecessarily.

If you suspect identity theft, immediately contact your financial institutions to report the fraud, place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and your local police department.

Signs of identity theft include unexplained withdrawals from your bank account, unfamiliar charges on your credit card, missing bills or other mail, and notifications from creditors or businesses about accounts you didn’t open.

You can monitor your credit by requesting free annual credit reports from the three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Additionally, consider using credit monitoring services that provide alerts for any significant changes to your credit report.

Yes, there are several identity theft protection services such as LifeLock, IdentityForce, and Experian IdentityWorks that offer monitoring, alerts, and recovery assistance to help protect your identity.

If your identity is stolen, you should take immediate steps to limit the damage. This includes contacting your financial institutions, placing a fraud alert on your credit reports, filing a police report, and reporting the theft to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov.

Recovering from identity theft involves working with your financial institutions to close fraudulent accounts, disputing fraudulent charges, and taking steps to secure your identity, such as changing passwords and requesting a credit freeze or fraud alert.