Protection against identity theft
Follow these steps to help secure your identify, and protect yourself from potential identity theft.
If you discover that someone is misusing your personal information, visit IdentityTheft.gov to report and recover from identity theft.
+ Change Passwords
Change passwords for accounts you use on a regular basis such as Gmail, Amazon, Facebook. It's a good practice to have completely unique passwords for financial accounts, like banks or credit cards.
"Completely unique" means that this password is not duplicated or used for ANY other account. It's used ONLY for ONE account.
Learn more about creating strong passwords or about MPS Password Reset.
+ Be Alert and Cybersecure
Stay up-to-date with tactics that hackers and threat actors use for Phishing and Social Engineering attacks. Knowing how to spot and report these attempts keeps the entire district cybersecure.
+ Use Muiltifactor Authentication (MFA)
When logging into accounts, multifactor authentication requires you to use two or more ways to verify your identify. Since passwords can be lost, forgotten, or stolen, using MFA prevents hackers from getting into your accounts.
Learn more about multifactor authentication.
+ Monitor Your Finances
Regularly check your bank, credit card, and other financial accounts for any suspicious activity. Consider placing freezes or holds when appropriate.
REPORT THREATS OR SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY
If you’re an MPS student or staff member and you’ve received any threats or suspicious messages, report them to privacy@mpls.k12.mn.us
Watch our video guide on how to report phishing in Outlook emails.
5 Ways to Help Protect Your Identity (VIDEO)
Create a Fraud Alert
To place a free fraud alert, contact one of the three credit bureaus. That company must tell the other two.
Experian.com/help
888-397-3742TransUnion.com/credit-help
888-909-8872Equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services
800-685-1111
Get your free credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Go to annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.
Review your reports. Make note of any account or transaction you don’t recognize. This will help you report the theft to the FTC.
Article: What To Know About Identity Theft
Source: Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
report identity theft
If your identity has been stolen, report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Go to IdentityTheft.gov and include as many details as possible. Based on the information you enter, IdentityTheft.gov will create your Identity Theft Report and recovery plan.