For nearly a decade, Joanna Saenz has been haunted by identity theft. After first losing her ID at 17 years old on a vacation trip to Mexico, she found out that her identity had been used to make major purchases, including a house. Joanna’s nightmare, while extreme, shows that any one of us is vulnerable, no matter how young.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has some great advice for how you to keep close tabs on your own identity. As well as the immediate steps you should take if you discover your identity has been stolen.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as many as 9 million Americans are victims of some form of identity theft every year. Whether conned into a phishing scam, visiting a malicious website, or having your mail stolen from your mailbox, there are hundreds of ways that lowlifes can take advantage of you and grab your personal information.

Your best defenses against ID theft are knowledge, awareness and eternal vigilance against scammers. The AMW Safety Center has plenty of strategies for stopping con artists in their tracks, and with some help, it’s easy to protect yourself against these would-be thieves. Check out some of these resources to help keep your personal information secure.

Make Shopping Online a Private Affair

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Protect Yourself from Online Crimes

Identity Protection Toolkit

As Americans struggle to stay afloat during these tough economic times, it seems everyone is scaling back on their purchases. But sometimes, you come across a deal on a product with an offer that seems too good to refuse. Unfortunately, scammers are out in full force to take advantage of shoppers searching for deals and often making offers that are too good to be true.

Whether pulling the old bait and switch, or offering miracle cure-all products, false advertising is illegal. We have some great advice here at the AMW Safety Center from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to help you recognize these false claims, and what you can do to protect your wallet against them.

As tax time approaches, people all over the country are concerned with keeping their finances on track, especially as the economy continues to veer towards the unknown. With new tax cuts and stimulus payments becoming available, it’s possible to become confused. The IRS has already reported numerous errors in early tax filings. Additionally, you should be on guard against any number of scams that pop up around this time of year, particularly those that claim to offer you excessive stimulus payments. Continue reading Outsmart Scammers: Stay On Guard Against Tax-Time Fraud »