Identity theft is a serious crime that occurs when your personal information is stolen and used without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes, costing you time and money.

Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your information:

• Shred financial documents before discarding them.

• Protect your social security number: don’t carry your social security card in your wallet or write your social security number on a check.

• Don’t give out personal information over the phone, through the mail, or on the Internet unless you know whom you are dealing with.

• Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails.

• Don’t use obvious passwords like your birthday date, your mother’s maiden name, or the last four digits of your social security number.

• Keep your personal information in a secure place at your home.