By filing your taxes as soon as possible, you are limiting the amount of time that a criminal can file a return using your information. Remember that the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers electronically to requires personal or financial information. A common scam is for a criminal to impersonate the IRS in an attempt to get sensitive information from you.

Instead of paying with a traditional credit card, use Apple Pay or an Android equivalent everywhere you can. The app generates a one-use authentication code, good for the current transaction only. Even if someone stole that code, it wouldn't do them any good. And paying with a smartphone app eliminates the possibility of data theft by a credit card skimmer.

Some criminals place QR codes in public places to lure you to a malicious website, which they then use to steal your money or your payment information. Often, they'll place a fraudulent QR code over a legitimate one at a location like a parking lot. Examine the QR code for tampering before using it.

Check if your personal information has been compromised on the Dark Web . This service collects and analyzes data from data breaches and allows users to search for their own information by entering a username or email address. You can also sign up to be notified if your email address appears in future dumps.

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Donate to charities anonymously. It is legal for charities to share a donor’s personal information with other groups, which means one donation can quickly lead to unwanted solicitations from other charity groups.

Read More: Silent Donor