Greetings, Northside community,

It is certainly nice to see warmer weather show up in Wisconsin. As we enter spring, two significant financial events will occur that historically bring out thieves. The first is filing of income tax returns. The second is the passage of the next stimulus bill and direct payments to help people cope with pandemic-related hardship. With these two things comes an increased threat of identity theft. 

Simply put, identity theft is when someone steals your personal information to commit fraud. Thieves can use your information to apply for credit, file taxes or get medical services. Here are some tips to minimize your chances of becoming a victim of identity theft:

• Keep your Social Security number secure, and don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet.
• Don’t share any personal information (birthday, Social Security number, bank or credit card numbers) just because someone requests it.
• Review all credit card and bank statements to make sure there aren’t fraudulent purchases.
• Shred financial documents before discarding them.
• Create complex passwords that thieves will not be able to guess.
• Review credit reports once a year to look for unauthorized credit accounts. You can order your free credit report from Annualcreditreport.com.
• Freeze your credit files with Equifax, Experian, Innovis, TransUnion, and the National Consumer Telecommunications and Utilities Exchange for free. Credit freezes prevent someone from getting approval for a credit account or utility services in your name. 

Finally, we have seen an increase in phishing calls from people purporting to be with the IRS. They may claim that you owe back taxes, and they may threaten you with arrest if you don’t immediately pay via debit card, wire transfer or gift cards. Understand that the IRS will always contact you by mail before calling you about a tax situation.