Identity theft means someone is using your information to make purchases, open new accounts, get medical care at your expense, commit crimes in your name, and more. It’s a federal offense, and one of the top 10 biggest threats to today’s businesses. In fact, bank account takeovers are rapidly growing internationally.

Today’s identity thieves use email addresses, social media accounts, and phone numbers to impersonate people you trust, like the head of HR, so you don’t think twice about sending them your SSN. Even a shared Netflix password can expose you to identity theft. Since kids have a clean slate, they’re often an appealing target to fraudsters.

ID theft affects everyone around you – financially and emotionally. It destroys credit scores, medical records, college funds, retirement accounts, and reputations. Victims could be stuck paying the bills, even for expenses they weren’t aware of. It steals time away from what matters to you, and it can take years to undo this kind of damage.