Every year, almost 17 million people fall victim to identity theft, a trend that shows no signs of slowing as data thieves become increasingly sophisticated. With your personal information, criminals can open bank accounts and take out loans in your name, steal your tax refund, and cause other problems that may take years to resolve. The tips below will help you protect your sensitive information, courtesy of the accountants at Erie & Associates, P.C., in Texarkana.

How Does Identity Theft Happen?

While digital theft is becoming more and more common with hackers stealing data from personal users and major corporations, losing your paper documents is still a leading cause of identity theft. With your driver’s license and other identifying information, criminals may be able to access other sensitive information. Lost or stolen phones, tablets, and laptop computers can also be a potential gold mine for identity thieves, especially if the device contains stored passwords.

How to Protect Your Information

Preventing identity theft from occurring in the first place is much simpler than dealing with the consequences later. Always be on the lookout for pickpockets in public places, and never carry your Social Security card with you. Many identity thieves dig private information out of the trash, so never throw away anything with bank account, Social Security, or credit card numbers without shredding it first. While there isn’t much you can do to protect yourself from a data breach at a business or government agency, using complex, unique passwords for each site you visit and password-protecting all of your electronic devices are smart moves.

As one of the Texarkana area’s leading accountants, Erie & Associates, P.C. offers a broad range of financial services, from tax preparation to daily bookkeeping. They pride themselves on helping clients resolve almost any type of financial issue, and can help you recover from identity theft and other disasters. For more on their services and to schedule an appointment with an accountant, visit their website now or call (903) 792-6651.