Identity theft can be costly in time, money and personal reputation. But there are steps you can take to help protect yourself.
How to Help Protect Yourself
- Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your information. Shred documents and don’t share information.
- Detect suspicious activity early by routinely monitoring accounts. If you see unauthorized payments on your credit card or bank account, you will need to contact the bank or the financial institution to have them reverse the unauthorized charge to your account.
- Review statements and your credit report.
- Defend against identity theft as soon as you suspect it. Immediately contact potentially impacted accounts, close accounts that were tampered with, and place a fraud alert on your credit reports. Be sure to also file a police report and report the incident to the FTC online at www.ftc.gov/idtheft. Visit identitytheft.gov for more information.
Also, if you change or give up your phone number, make sure to update all your accounts that use that number as a way to contact or authenticate you. It is important to take action before you lose access to the "old" number since it could be allocated to someone else in the future. If you don't, it's possible that the number's new owner could get your security messages in the future.
A variety of services will monitor your credit reports for activity and alert you to account changes. Be sure to understand what services you are getting before you sign up.
Reporting Fraud or Identity Theft
Fraudsters can try to take advantage of you by phone, email, text or social media. If you think a caller is trying to scam you, hang up. If you get a suspicious email or text, do not reply.
- If you suspect you are a target of fraud on your AT&T mobile phone account, you can report it to our Fraud team.
- If you suspect fraud on your U-verse, Wireline, or Internet account, file an identity theft claim.
- If you suspect fraud on another account, call the customer service number on your bill for assistance.
You may also report suspicious activity to the FTC and Anti-phishing working group.
To find out more about reporting fraud, check out our Resources page.
Did you know?
Major nationwide consumer reporting companies like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are required to give you a free copy of your credit report each year if you ask for it. Visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com for more information.
Contact information for Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion is available in our Resources section.