Skip to main content

Today we’re kicking off Identity Theft Awareness Week 2022. Identity thieves have been busier than ever during the pandemic, with scammers and identity thieves after people’s information to apply for credit, unemployment benefits, file taxes, buy things, or get medical services. But there are some things you can do to protect yourself, and this week, you’ll learn how.

 

Each day this week, we’ll cover topics from the steps you can take to protect your personal information, to what to know about credit freezes and fraud alerts. Follow along with these alerts to help keep your money and personal information safe from scammers.

 

But wait, there’s more! This week, tune into free webinars, podcasts, and other events to hear experts discussing how to spot, protect against, and recover from identity theft. There’s something for everyone — including some events that spotlight resources for active duty service members, veterans, and older adults.

 

Start by joining a Facebook Live discussion at 3 p.m. ET today: Impersonator Scams & Identity Theft. You’ll hear from experts from the FTC and AARP’s Fraud Watch Network about impersonators who pretend to be from the government or well-known businesses, how they try to steal your information, and how to spot and stop them.

 

For details on the week’s webinars, podcasts, and Facebook Live programs, as well as how to participate, visit Identity Theft Awareness Week 2022. Then join us on Friday, when we’ll wrap up with a Twitter chat discussing identity theft trends, advice on spotting and avoiding identity theft, and how to recover.

Learn more about identity theft at ftc.gov/idtheft. And, if identity theft happens to you or someone you know, visit IdentityTheft.gov to report it and get a personalized recovery plan.

Search Terms
identity theft
scam
Topics
Identity Theft and Online Security
Identity Theft
Scams
All Scams
Avoiding and Reporting Scams

It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.

The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

gdr23
January 31, 2022
Thank you for this! Scams seem to be getting more sophisticated and difficult to detect from txt, to email, to phone calls. I appreciate all the knowledge I can get to stay safe.
Mama Jo
January 31, 2022
This sounds very helpful but apparently you are under the delusion that everyone uses Facebook and Twitter and other forms of social media. My computer is as old as I am (in computer years, that is), and my "smart phone" is not that far behind and definitely in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's. I hope you will share the same info with the rest of us, here, in a written format.
Estani
January 31, 2022

In reply to by Mama Jo

Thanks for pointing out that not everyone uses social media. I myself have NEVER used Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media, as far as I know, precisely to AVOID more exposure to identity theft. (Also, huge time wasters.) How ironic to be told to go to them for identity theft information!
Birdie
February 01, 2022

In reply to by Mama Jo

I agree with Mama Jo. This needs to be in writing and updates given weekly.
Night Trader
February 01, 2022

In reply to by Mama Jo

It sounds like my computer may be a bit newer than yours, but I'm not putting myself or it in the grasp of Facebook. So I'm with you on this one.
Ruben Sr
January 31, 2022
Excellent information, very valuable for our protection as consumers.
MJB
January 31, 2022
I am not and will not open a Facebook account.
Brad97
January 31, 2022
We, pretty much know, what to do to protect our own identity. The question is what are you doing to protect us from the bad guys?
Patriot 101
January 31, 2022
While I recognize the FTC strong advocacy towards Fraud Prevention, I certainly would like to made aware of some CONVICTIONS.
hkl
January 31, 2022
FTC should more rigorously regulate sites like MyLife.com which publicizes individual "profiles" that contain a LARGE collection sensitive information that any identity thief can use with a casual google search. Why is this allowed?
FTC Staff
January 31, 2022

In reply to by hkl

This December 2021 FTC press release explains that MyLife.com, Inc. and its CEO, Jeffrey Tinsley, have been banned from engaging in deceptive negative option marketing and will pay $21 million following allegations that they tricked consumers with “teaser background reports” and trapped them in difficult-to-cancel subscription programs.

Nola knows
January 31, 2022
Thanks for the info. It will be an interesting week. I left Facebook and Twitter years back so do you have any plans to share the info with people like me? Perhaps a transcript? I'll settle for a good summary of important facts. Thanks!
DC2813
January 31, 2022
Please post the video on the video site here and send us a notice
Joe
January 31, 2022
Neither my wife or I have a FB account. Nor do we want one. In fact it took us weeks to delete our old FB accounts. We deleted the accounts because of the miss information and risk of being dragged into a scam. Please offer this valuable information to folks not using social media.
Granny Lee
January 31, 2022
I agree with Mama Jo. There's a reason why seniors are targeted. And we are not all on twitter or Facebook. That would be two more accounts to have hacked. Please share this important information in written format with the rest of us. Thanks!
Vicki L
January 31, 2022
I would love to watch/attend these sessions. Unfortunately every single one of them is during the work day. I couldn't see any information about there being a recording available later, so none of this will be helpful to me.
Google Yourself!
February 01, 2022
A person can Google themself and see LOTS of personal information. All this info is there for the public to see/use. What can we do to remove this information and keep it from happening again?
Return to top