HOW TO MINIMIZE YOUR
RISK OF IDENTITY THEFT
Being confident about the security of your private information can be challenging in today’s digital-
everything world. SunTrust Bank, through a partnership with Experian, published these helpful tips.
Keep important documents at home.
Don’t carry extra credit cards, your Social
Security card, birth certificate or passport with
you outside your house can help you minimize
your risk of identity theft.
Pick up checks in person.
When ordering new checks, pick them up at the
bank instead of having them sent to your home.
This makes it harder for your checks to be
stolen, altered, and cashed by identity thieves.
Think before you share.
Identity thieves may call, sometimes posing as
bank or government agency officials. Do not
give out personal information over the phone
unless you initiated the call.
Invest in a shredder.
Shred your receipts, credit card offers, bank
statements, returned checks and any other
sensitive information before throwing it away.
Cover your bases.
Ensure that your employer, landlord and anyone
else with access to your personal data keeps
your records safe.
Order your free credit report.
You’re entitled to a free credit report from
each of the three credit bureaus every year.
Make sure you review your credit reports for
inaccuracies. See below for how to use your
credit report to spot identity theft.
Keep your SSN under wraps.
If possible, make sure your bank does not print
your SSN on your personal checks.
Don’t use weak passwords.
Using passwords that include a mix of letters,
numbers and special characters makes it harder
for identity thieves to crack these codes.