Identity theft is not a new obstacle that Floridians have had to deal with. Attorney General Ashley Moody (R-FL) has issued a Consumer Alert to warn Floridians this Identity Theft Awareness Week about the billions of dollars lost to identity theft each year.
One in 20 Americans each year is affected by identity theft. accumulating more than $5.8 billion in losses in 2021. Identity theft is a form of fraud that is highly illegal, and occurs when somebody attempts to use identitying information of another to commit fraud.
Florida's attorney general has made it a point of hers to protect consumers in the state of Florida, and battling identity fraud has become a center piece for this plan.
"From children to seniors, no one is immune from identity theft, and that is why it is vital for everyone to take proactive steps to help protect their sensitive information." Said Ashley Moody, "In recognition of Identity Theft Awareness Week, I am issuing tips and providing resources for Floridians to help them strengthen their online security to better protect personal data and hopefully avoid identity thieves."
In a recent press release, the attorney general's office laid out a list of provisions Floridians should take to avoid being victimized by identity theft:
- Check account statements regularly;
- Consider placing a credit freeze with each of the three major credit-reporting bureaus—Equifax, Experian and TransUnion—so new accounts cannot be opened in your name;
- Obtain free credit reports from each national credit agency once a year;
- Remember, the Internal Revenue Service, and most other government agencies, will never initiate contact via email, text message or social media;
- Use an antivirus program and a firewall, especially when not on an encrypted site or secure connection;
- Refrain from sending or providing personal information to solicitors;
- Avoid public Wi-Fi when accessing personal data;
- Enable multifactor authentication to be checked after a secure, never-reused password is entered;
- Ask questions before providing personal data to anyone, even to a trusted party; and
- Shred or safely burn documents containing personal information.
In 2021, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody issued a Consumer Alert warning Floridians that there is an increase in imposter scam phone calls that are claiming to be from Florida law enforcement, proving Moody's active commitment to protecting Florida consumers.
