The Federal Trade Commission has declared Jan. 29–Feb. 2, 2024 Identity Theft Awareness Week in the United States in an effort to raise awareness around identity theft and help residents protect their identities from being stolen.

Last year in Eden Prairie there were 135 cases of identity theft. The EPPD offers the following tips to help prevent becoming an identity theft victim:

• Do not answer phone calls, texts, social media messages or email from numbers or people you do not know.
• Collect your mail every day and place a hold on your mail when you will be on vacation or away from your home.
• Review credit card and bank account statements. Watch for and report unauthorized or suspicious transactions.
• Learn when it is safe to use a public Wi-Fi network.
• Avoid using easily available information for passwords such as mother's maiden name or family member birthdates.
• Beware of "phishing" scams. Scam artists "phish" for victims by pretending to be banks, stores or government agencies. They do this over the phone, in emails and in the U.S. mail. Don't give out your personal information. Don't respond to a request to verify your account number or password. Legitimate companies do not request this kind of information in this way.
• Never leave your purse or wallet in your vehicle while it’s parked in your driveway or at a fitness center, park, daycare or underground parking garage – these are prime locations for thieves to target and steal your identity.

The Federal Trade Commission is offering a number of free online education events for Identity Theft Awareness Week.