According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, there were more than 353 million victims of ID theft in 2023.  

The Office of the Attorney General suggests all Hoosiers read the following to avoid, detect, and respond to this crime: 

• Tips to protect you and your family: 

• Do not conduct any sensitive transactions, including purchases, on a public Wi-Fi network. 
• Create a unique password for each online account and change often. 

• Don’t click on anything in unsolicited emails or text messages. 
• Be careful with the information you and your family share on social media. Sharing things like pet names, schools, and family members can give scammers the hints they need to guess your passwords or the answers to your account security questions. 
• Place a security freeze on your credit reports to block an identity thief from opening a new account or obtaining credit in your name and keep new creditors from accessing your credit report without your permission. 

• Common clues someone has stolen your identity: 

• Bank account transactions you can’t explain. 
• Unfamiliar accounts or charges on your credit report. 
• Medical bills for services you didn’t use. 
• A health plan won’t cover you because your medical records show a condition you don’t have. 
• The IRS notifies you that more than one tax return was filed in your name, or that you have income from an employer you don’t work for. 

• What to do right away if your identity is stolen: 

• Call the companies where you know the fraud occurred. 
• Place a security freeze and request a free credit report with all three credit unions, Experian, Transunion, and Equifax.