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7. Watch Your Mail Stolen mail can easily lead to stolen identity, so watch your mailbox to make sure you’re getting expected statements. The USPS service called Informed Delivery gives you a preview of your mail each day; you can use it to make sure you get everything you’re supposed to receive. Better yet, sign up for paperless billing and bank statements from the companies you do business with. 8. Be Alert to Scams Be diligent about online safety. That includes not responding to any emails that seem fishy and especially not clicking any links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. Check things like the sending email address, grammar, and logos to help you spot illegitimate emails. Use the same level of suspicion for texts, phone calls, and voice mail messages. 9. Protect Mobile Devices Your mobile devices carry so much private information that it’s important to protect them by using a locking feature or password. It might be a little less convenient, but it’s worth the effort. When you need to access online banking, use your bank’s app rather than going through a browser. Mobile security also includes updating software on your device when it alerts you to do so. 10. Secure Your Networks Make sure your home network equipment is up to date and that you’ve assigned it a hard-to-guess password rather than using the factory default. When in public, never use Wi-Fi to conduct personal business unless you have a virtual private network (VPN) on your device.

How to Report and Recover If You Become a Victim If you’ve taken all the steps above yet still become a victim of identity theft, you should report the crime, then create a plan to recover. The site IdentityTheft.gov is the best place to start to do both. It guides you through some questions about what happened, then generates a customized recovery plan. If you create an account, the site walks you through each step and tracks your progress. money, but also your sense of security and safety in the world. If a criminal performs a crime using your identity, you can end up with a criminal record, which could in turn impact things like your ability to get a job. It can take weeks, months, or even years to repair the damage to your credit and your life, so don’t feel bad if the recovery process doesn’t seem easy. It’s important to remember that identity theft robs you not only of

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