‘How do I avoid identity theft?’: TDCI shares what to be aware of

JACKSON, Tenn. — It is Identity Theft Awareness Week, and the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance wants you to be aware of the dangers.

Carter Lawrence, the Commissioner of TDCI, says that technology can be used as a weapon to perpetrate scams that can cause headaches and potentially ruin someone’s credit and finances.

Kevin Walters, a spokesman for TDCI says that anyone can be affected by identity theft.

“Regardless of your age, regardless of your background, you can become a victim of identity theft. Thieves are more sophisticated than ever, and they have a variety of methods for trying to steal your money,” Walters said.

Walters also brought up the idea of having a trusted contact. This is someone that your bank can contact to verify if any activity could be fraudulent.

He talked more about how this provides you with better security.

“It gives your banking institution, your financial institution, someone to confirm your current contact information, or your health status, or your identity should someone else, a third party with nefarious goals and nefarious aims. It puts a barrier between you and that person,” Walters said.

One of the other tips he brought up was using a credit freeze. This is a free tool that allows consumers to restrict access to their credit reports.

“It limits who can actually access your credit reports,” Walters said.

Credit freezes do not affect your credit score. It also does not prevent government agencies from accessing your credit report in response to a court or administrative order.

In fact, in 2017, Tennessee passed a law allowing parents to freeze the credit of a minor under 16 years of age.

In the most recent report, the Federal Trade Commission identified over 16,000 instances of identity theft reported in Tennessee.

You can find more news from across the state here.