Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information to do things like open accounts, steal your tax refund, or file fake health insurance claims.  There are simple steps that you can take to reduce the risk of it happening to you.

Here are five tips from the Federal Trade Commission to protect yourself from identity theft:

  1. Check your bank and credit card statements for transactions you don’t recognize.
  2. Know your bill payment due dates, and if your bill doesn’t show up, check it out.
  3. Review your health insurance, and make sure the claims match the care you received.
  4. Shred documents containing your personal and financial information.
  5. Review your credit report regularly at https://www.annualcreditreport.com.

To learn more about protecting yourself, subscribe to the FTC’s consumer news and scam alerts. Read more from WIN.