Highest impact
Protect the information that criminals use to impersonate you
- 1Freeze your creditStop new credit accounts from being opened in your name.
- 2Monitor your credit reportsCheck for accounts, inquiries, or changes you do not recognize.
- 3Review consumer data reportsLook for data used behind the scenes for identity checks.
- 4Lock down your Social Security numberUse official protections where available.
- 5Remove your data from brokersOpt out of major people-search sites and data aggregators.
Use these actions in this order
Credit freeze first. Then reports. Then data brokers. That sequence gives you quick protection while also reducing how much of your information is publicly available and commercially traded.
Use the page as a checklist and work through the links one by one. This is one of the most effective ways to make identity theft harder.