Every 3 seconds, someone in the United States becomes a victim of identity fraud. Make sure you don’t become a statistic by following these steps:

• Secure personal and financial records in locked storage or behind a password on your computer or mobile device — both at home and at work.
• Monitor all financial accounts at least weekly.
• Don’t use unsecured wi-fi at a coffee shop, library, airport, hotel, etc. to transmit personal or financial information.
• When paying for a purchase online, look for “https” and not just “http” at the start of a merchant’s web address. Most browsers will also show a bright green box and/or padlock graphic in the address bar.
• Don’t overshare on social sites. If you post too much information, an identity thief may find it, use it to answer “challenge” questions on your other accounts, and gain access to your money Review your three credit reports (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) at least once a year. Request a report from one every four months on a rotating basis.

Learn more about identity theft at https://www.identitytheft.gov/