We learned last night that 29,000 city vendors and employees may be at risk for identity theft. The city is recommending those who are at risk to call one of the three major credit reporting companies and set up free fraud alert services.
That’s a great starting point.
But we found there are more things you can be doing proactively.
Call your bank. Talk to someone int he fraud department and seek advice. They may recommend you keep a close eye on the account and statements – or close the account altogether and open a new one.
You may even consider just opening a new account and slowly phasing the old one over to the new one, making sure you don’t forget about checks that haven’t cleared yet.
If you’re concerned about someone using your information to create a phony driver’s license, you may call the state DMV and ask to have your information flagged.
You may also consider changing your passwords just in case – passwords for email, bank and credit card accounts, retirement accounts – anything you have money attached to.
Experts say it’s better to be proactive than to become a victim of identity theft.