Identity Theft: Lock It Down

The story: Maya’s mystery letter

Maya holds a letter about a store card Maya never opened, and a grown-up helps plan the next steps.

1. Narrator: Maya, 17, gets a letter about a past-due store card. Maya never opened one.
2. Maya: I don’t have a store card. How is there a bill in my name?
3. Narrator: Someone may have used Maya’s name and Social Security number. That’s identity theft.
4. Adult: Let’s report it at IdentityTheft.gov, check your credit reports, then freeze your credit.
5. Narrator: A credit freeze stops new credit from opening in your name. It’s free, even for minors.
6. Narrator: Freeze it, guard it, check it.

What you’ll learn

1. How it happens

   Identity theft is when someone uses your information to open accounts or borrow in your name. It comes from data breaches, phishing messages, stolen mail and sometimes people you know.

2. Guard your number

   Share your Social Security number only when it’s truly needed, like for a job, taxes or a bank. A quiz app or a contest doesn’t need it. Don’t carry the card. Shred mail with account numbers.

3. Freeze vs fraud alert

   A credit freeze blocks new credit in your name until you lift it. It’s free, even for minors, and a parent can request one for a child. A fraud alert asks lenders to check it’s really you before opening credit.

4. If it happens

   Signs include bills for accounts you didn’t open, or calls about debts you don’t owe. Report it at IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan. Then contact the companies, freeze your credit and check your reports.

Key words

identity theft

when someone uses your information to open accounts or borrow in your name

credit freeze

a free block on new credit in your name until you lift it

fraud alert

a note asking lenders to check it’s really you

data breach

when a company’s stored information is stolen or exposed

Common questions

Will a freeze hurt my credit score?

No. A freeze doesn’t change your score. You lift it for a moment when you want to apply for credit yourself.

Remember this

Freeze it, guard it, check it.

Try it: Plan your identity shield

1. Write the sample recovery steps on scraps of paper: check your reports, freeze your credit, report at IdentityTheft.gov, contact the companies.
2. Put them in order, then check your order against the “If it happens” card.
3. Or talk with a grown-up about a credit freeze for you.

The whole mission; no account or app needed.

Live facts

Numbers that change over time, with when they were last checked and where they come from.

• Credit freezes and fraud alerts, including for minors

  Source: FTC(opens in a new tab)

• Report identity theft and get a recovery plan

  Source: IdentityTheft.gov(opens in a new tab)