FRANKFORT, Ky. — In recognition of Identity Theft Awareness Week, Attorney General Daniel Cameron urged Kentuckians to take steps to avoid identity theft and protect their personal information.
“Identity theft occurs when someone obtains and uses your personal information without your permission to commit fraud, and many common scams involve some form of identity theft,” said Cameron. “If your information is used to open an account, take out a loan or lease, file taxes, or apply for unemployment insurance or other government benefits, you may be the victim of identity theft and should report it to our office immediately at ag.ky.gov/scams.”
In 2021, the Attorney General’s Offices of Consumer and Senior Protection assisted over 5,300 Kentuckians with reports of fraud related to identity theft, and the Federal Trade Commission’s Sentinel Network reported over 5,500 instances of identity theft in the Commonwealth in 2020.
To avoid identity theft, the Attorney General’s office recommends following these tips:
- Beware of scammers who use phone calls, texts, QR codes, or phishing emails to impersonate a government agency or business. Avoid clicking unsolicited links in emails or texts as they may lead to legitimate-looking websites designed to steal your personal information. Never respond to pop-up advertisements that ask for personal information.
- Consider placing a free “Fraud Alert” on your credit report by contacting any of the three major credit reporting agencies, Experian, Transunion or Equifax.
- Check your credit report regularly. Free credit reports are available at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action.
- Regularly review your transactions, bank accounts, and debit and credit cards. If you notice something suspicious, contact your bank or credit card company immediately.
- Watch for warning signs that your identity may be compromised. If you receive a credit card for an account you did not open, an address change notice you did not initiate, are denied favorable credit terms for no apparent reason, receive collection calls for accounts, or stop receiving statements from a creditor, you may be experiencing identity theft.
Additional resources and tips to avoid identity theft are available on the Attorney General’s website at ag.ky.gov/identity-theft. Suspected identity theft should be reported to the Attorney General’s Office at ag.ky.gov/scams, to local law enforcement, and to the FTC at https://www.identitytheft.gov/#/.
