BOISE, Idaho — December is Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month in the Gem State, and with the holiday season in full swing, it's important to stay cautious about your identity – especially on the web.
Idaho Department of Finance Director Patricia Perkins on Friday said identity theft "continues to rise," and a large portion of thefts can occur behind a screen. The department defines identity theft as "a crime where a consumer's personal or financial information is illegally obtained to commit fraud."
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), there were 1.1 million identity theft reports that were filed in 2022 and they expect it to increase by the end of 2023. The FTC received 441,882 complaints of stolen information regrading credit card misuse, marking credit card misuse as the most common form of identity theft.
Idaho ranks 40 out of 50 states for identity theft reports with 2,225 reports.
In Friday's news release, the Idaho Department of Finance provided some tips on how to avoid identity theft this year, which can be critical before or after purchasing gifts and decorations for Christmas as demand increases:
- Monitor credit reports and freeze cards if there is suspicious activity.
- Create strong and different passwords for accounts
- Utilize two-step factor authentication
- Shred documents that contain personal information
- Be careful sharing personal information via social media
- Download and use an antivirus protection software
For those who have experienced identity theft, file a report online at www.identitytheft.gov.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET NEWS FROM KTVB:
Download the KTVB News Mobile App
Apple iOS: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Watch news reports for FREE on YouTube: KTVB YouTube channel
Stream Live for FREE on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching 'KTVB'.
Stream Live for FREE on FIRE TV: Search ‘KTVB’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
