How to Prevent Identity Theft – 13 Expert Tips for 2025

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In today’s world, it’s important to know how to prevent identity theft and how to protect your identity. Fraud and identity theft are far more common than you might think, and it pays to be up to speed on how to avoid identity theft and the tricks used by hackers and con artists.

In this guide, I’ll explore identity protection services, how to protect against identity theft, and how to report it if you’ve been targeted.

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How Does Identity Theft Work?

Identity theft is the crime of stealing personal and financial information so it can be used for illicit ends, such as cloning credit cards, obtaining loans, stealing tax refunds, and hijacking your email and social accounts to send phishing emails.
Annual Data Breaches in the US
The annual number of data compromises and individuals impacted in the United States from 2005 to 2023

According to Statista, there were over 1,800 reported major data breaches in 2022, which impacted a staggering 422 million individuals. This illustrates the scale of the threat and the number of malicious actors intent on capturing personal information.

The consequences of identity theft are often severe, and the process of recovering a stolen identity can be time-consuming, stressful, and costly. Because of this, it’s very important to do everything you can to protect your data from cybercriminals. Fortunately, there are a range of digital tools you can use to protect yourself.

Read on to learn how to stop identity theft and what to do if you’ve already had your details stolen.

Top 13 Identity Theft Protection Tips

If you’re worried about someone stealing your identity or exploiting your personal or banking information, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Here are 13 tips to prevent identity theft, which you should always follow.

1. Protect Your Electronic Devices with Antivirus Software

Computer viruses are a common way for fraudsters to steal personal details. Malware can be used to track your online activity, while keyloggers and spyware can record your logins and spy on you.

Because of this, it’s important to install antivirus software on all your devices. Antivirus software can protect you from cyber-attacks and ensure your network and computing devices are safe and secure.

They can also protect you from threats like ransomware, which seeks to hold your device and data hostage. Anti-phishing and ad-blocking features can also help to limit your exposure to viruses.

For product recommendations, see our guide to the best antivirus software, and if you need to protect a business, read our best business antivirus guide.

2. Use a VPN to Secure Your Connection

If you use public Wi-Fi on an insecure connection, your information could be monitored and stolen in a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) can protect you from this by encrypting your data and securing your connection.

This provides additional security and also anonymizes you, preventing hackers, your ISP, advertisers, and the government from monitoring your internet connection. It’ll also hide your IP address and your physical location.

I recommend opting for an antivirus including Virtual Private Network features to boost your privacy and security with a single product. TotalAV and Norton both include VPNs with their plans, while leading VPN providers like Surfshark and NordVPN offer excellent antivirus and web protection tools.

Read our guides to the best antiviruses with VPN tools and the best VPNs for more information. If you’re interested in securing your phone connection, see our guide to the best VPNs for iPhone.

3. Use a Data Breach Monitoring Service

If your login details have been exposed in a data breach, it’s critical to update your password and implement multi-factor authentication as soon as possible.

Because of this, proactive dark web monitoring tools are invaluable as they’ll promptly alert you if your information has appeared on the dark web as a result of a data breach. TotalAV, Norton, and NordVPN Threat Protection all offer data breach monitoring tools with their packages.

4. Get a Password Manager and Use Strong, Unique Passwords for All Your Accounts

Many people use the same passwords for all their accounts and devices since it’s difficult to remember dozens of unique passwords. However, this means that if any one of your accounts gets hacked, cybercriminals can potentially access every single online account you use.

If you use one of the most common passwords, it’s simple for hackers to guess your login and break into your account. That’s why you should use a password manager to generate strong, unique passwords and safely store them in an encrypted password vault that’s only accessible to you.

Even if someone gets ahold of the encrypted passwords, they won’t be able to use them without decrypting them – which is impossible with today’s technology. Of course, you should also use a PIN or password for your mobile device.

In terms of password managers, I recommend using NordPass, which is fast, affordable, and offers excellent security. For more recommendations, see our guide to the best password managers today.

5. Be Mindful of Phishing Scams

Many identity thieves will attempt to trick you into sharing your personal information with them. Never share your personal or financial information with unknown individuals over the phone, via email, or on the internet unless you’re certain that the party requesting the information can be trusted.

Keep in mind that scammers will often pose as government agents or representatives of financial institutions or digital service providers. Scammers may present false urgency or tell you that your account has been hacked to encourage you to cooperate.

Banks, financial institutions, and customer support providers won’t ask you to share your username and password, so be wary of sharing information if someone contacts you. If you get an email or a phone call asking you to share sensitive information, contact the institution directly to confirm the legitimacy of the request.

Carefully check details like email addresses on messages, website URLs, and the content of web pages to ensure you’re in touch with a legitimate party. If you’re contacted by phone, ask why you should divulge information and always err on the side of caution.

Antivirus programs like TotalAV, Norton, and NordVPN Threat Protection can also flag potentially malicious links and attachments in emails, helping you to quickly catch phishing attempts. See our guide to how to avoid phishing scams for more advice.

6. Freeze Your Credit

If you don’t plan on opening a new account or applying for a loan, you should consider freezing your credit. This prevents unauthorized parties from accessing your credit report, opening financial accounts in your name, requesting new credit cards, or taking out loans.

Even if someone got ahold of your financial information, they wouldn’t be able to use it. To freeze your credit, you’ll need to contact the three primary credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can do this by email, over the phone, or by post.

There’s no downside to freezing your credit. You’ll receive a PIN, which will allow you to temporarily unfreeze it or lift the freeze whenever you need in the future.

The Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus plan includes an Identity Lock feature, which locks your credit file and blocks access to payday loans, while McAfee includes Credit Lock and Security Freeze features with its Ultimate plan.

7. Never Carry All Your Documents With You

Identity theft happens in the real world, as well, and not just online. If your wallet contains your credit cards, Medicare card, driver’s license, and social security details, it could provide enough information for thieves to steal your identity or engage in tax-related identity theft.

Since you likely won’t need all of these items every time you leave the house, it’s best to leave anything you won’t need safely stored at home. You can also protect yourself from theft by using virtual credit cards on your phone or smartwatch.

8. Review Your Credit Card Receipts

When making credit card purchases, whether in-person or online, check your credit card receipts. They should only show the last four digits of your credit card number. If a receipt shows your full card number and your card’s expiration date, the information could be used to commit fraud.

If you notice this, you should immediately report the vendor to the Office of the Attorney General. Of course, it’s also worth tracking your credit card statements more generally for unexpected charges, which may indicate you’ve been the victim of fraud.

9. Shred Documents Before Throwing Them in the Trash

While the majority of identity thefts occur as a result of an online scam or a data breach, there are still criminals who prefer old-fashioned, hands-on methods – like digging through people’s trash.

When disposing of documents that include personal information, and particularly bank statements, make sure to shred them so malicious individuals can’t just take credit card statements, utility bills, or pre-approved credit card offers out of your trash.

Norton also includes a data shredder for helping to completely delete digital files, ensuring that no data fragments are retained.

10. Opt Out of Pre-Screened Offers of Credit

Credit card companies often use information from credit reporting authorities to offer credit to eligible individuals. While this facilitates the process of getting approved for credit, it exposes you to risk if someone intercepts the communication.

If a criminal steals an offer letter, they can potentially obtain your personal information and even use credit applications to open new credit accounts in your name.

That’s why you should exercise your right to opt out of these offers. You can do so by visiting OptOutPrescreen.com or by calling 1-888-567-8688, and, of course, you can set a credit freeze to stop anyone from opening accounts in your name.

11. Review Credit Score Reports

You can request a free credit report from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion on the information they hold on you. It’s free, easy to do online, and doesn’t damage your credit score.

Reviewing and monitoring your credit score with free annual credit reports can alert you to any big changes, so you’ll know if someone’s tampering with your finances. Of course, you can also apply a credit lock to prevent scammers from accessing your credit information or opening new accounts, though it’s wise to remain vigilant in any case.

12. Remove Your Details From Data Broker Sites and Unused Accounts

Using online services inevitably leaves a long digital trail today, and you might be surprised by the amount of information that’s available online about you. Hackers and data brokers can collect and consolidate this information to build a detailed profile on you, so it’s worth it to try to get it removed.

Norton offers a Privacy Monitor tool that helps you check for your details on data broker and people-search sites and to opt out. McAfee has a similar Personal Data Cleanup utility and an Online Account Cleanup tool, which searches for old accounts that may be holding onto your personal information.

Remember, as well, that if you use the same password and login across multiple accounts, then a breach could leave you exposed. even if it comes from a dormant profile.

13. Wipe Devices Before Selling or Giving Away Phones, Laptops, and Computers

People typically store a lot of personal data on their devices, including files, photos, videos, and passwords to their accounts. If you plan on getting rid of an old phone, laptop, iPad, or PC – whether you’re selling it, giving it away, or junking it – you should completely wipe your hard drive and reset the device.

It’s sensible to do this even if passing on a device to a friend or family member, as there’s a chance they’ll lose the device or sell it on, and this ensures no one has access to information that could be used for identity theft. Norton‘s data shredder can also help you permanently remove sensitive files.

If you’re considering a factory reset to tackle malware, see our guide to using a factory reset to remove viruses.

How Identity Thieves Get Access To Your Information Online

How Identity Thieves Access Your Information
Computer viruses and spyware are a common way for hackers to get ahold of your details

There are many ways in which criminals can obtain your information. Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the most common ways fraudsters steal your information.

  • Spyware – If you’re visiting shady websites, clicking on ads, or torrenting files from untrusted sources, you might unknowingly download spyware to your device. These programs record and transmit your data to cybercriminals, tracking your clicks, key presses, and search history – potentially exposing everything you do.
  • Data Breaches – When cybercriminals hack their way into the databases of online service providers, they can potentially grab information on millions of people. That’s why you should install an antivirus with data breach monitoring, so you’ll have time to update your passwords before an identity thief can start using your details.
  • Network Attacks – Cybercriminals can gain access to your device and data by exploiting vulnerabilities in unsecured public Wi-Fi networks. That’s why I recommend always using an antivirus with a VPN on your phone or laptop before connecting to public Wi-Fi.
  • Email Scams – Phishing attacks can be conducted via email, SMS, and social media. Scammers impersonate legitimate businesses, service providers, and institutions and attempt to trick you into sharing your information, often by telling you that you need to update your passwords to secure your accounts. They may even direct you to legitimate-looking sites to confirm your credentials.

There are also a number of ways malicious individuals can steal your details offline. These include:

  • Mailbox Theft – Criminals can steal your mail from your mailbox or even redirect mail to a different location. That’s why you should use a secure mailbox and make sure to regularly pick up your mail. You can also sign up for services to get emails with images of items you should expect so you’ll know if they don’t arrive.
  • Lost or Stolen Wallets – If you lose your wallet or it’s stolen, then criminals may have access to your ID, credit cards, social security number, or any other documents you typically carry. If this happens, you should immediately report the theft, notify the relevant institutions, and freeze or cancel your lost cards.
  • Phone Scams – These scams are similar to phishing attacks and see fraudsters asking for personal or financial information or passwords, justifying the request by telling you that they need to verify your identity. No legitimate service or institution will ever ask you for these details, so never give strangers personal information over the phone.
  • Skimming – This is a more subtle approach to stealing card information, with electronic devices fitted to ATMs and compromised credit card readers being used to record your details. If possible, always pay inside, at store counters.

How to Prevent Identity Theft on Social Media

Social media accounts present a window into your life and can be a point of vulnerability for identity theft.

Consider what information you’re sharing online and who you’re sharing it with. You may be sharing personal details like your full name, your age, your address, your email address, your phone number, and your interests.

Social platforms typically provide settings that let you control what you share and, in some cases, segment your contacts. It’s worth spending time to make sure you’re happy with your setup and that personal details aren’t being shared with people you don’t know. McAfee also offers a Social Privacy Manager, which can help you ensure your settings match your desired level of security.

To stop anyone from hacking your social media accounts, meanwhile, make sure to use strong passwords and enable multi-factor authentication wherever it’s possible.

How to Report Identity Theft

If you’ve been a victim of identity theft, you should report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You can do this at identitytheft.gov. You’ll get a personalized recovery plan that will help mitigate the damage.

You can also contact the IRS if the identity theft potentially has anything to do with your tax returns by calling 800-908-4490.

After reporting the identity theft to the FTC and the IRS, you should contact your local police department, credit card issuers, and postal service, especially if you’ve lost your wallet or have had your personal documents stolen. To facilitate this, it’s useful to have a copy of important documents on hand at home.

Should You Use an Identity Protection Service?

Investing in identity protection services can be useful. These services offer protection against identity theft by monitoring your credit score and alerting you of changes or attempts to open new financial accounts in your name. ID theft protection services can also help you recover lost funds and repair damage done to your credit score.

The Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus plan offers a particularly impressive set of identity theft protection features, which include:

  • Bank and credit card activity alerts
  • 401(k) and investment account alerts
  • Social Security and credit alerts
  • Buy now, pay later alerts
  • Home title monitoring
  • Stolen wallet protection
  • Credit monitoring coverage with three credit bureaus
  • $1 million stolen funds reimbursement

In combination with an antivirus, a password manager, dark web monitoring, and anti-phishing tools, it’s an excellent package for protecting your data and the security of your identity.

NordVPN offers $1 million in cyber protection for identity theft recovery and $100,000 coverage for cyber extortion.

Conclusion – How to Protect Against Identity Theft?

Millions of people fall victim to identity theft each year. Recovering your information and repairing your credit score is time-consuming and costly, and you may well still be the target of repeated fraud attempts.

That’s why you should take every possible precaution to ensure the security of your personal and financial information. I recommend protecting your devices by installing trustworthy antivirus software, like TotalAV, using strong, unique passwords for all your accounts, and periodically checking your credit reports.

Of course, you should also be mindful of the websites you visit, the links you click, and the files you download.

FAQs

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Tsvetomir Koychev
Editor

Tsvetomir is a tech-savvy Editor and Writer, focused on online privacy and security. With close to five years of experience in the field, he strives to simplify complex topics and fact-check every detail to ensure his readers always get the most accurate information.