ATLANTA — As criminals get more convincing when trying to steal your personal information, state officials are urging extra caution during this ‘Identity Theft Awareness Week.’
New scams pop up all the time.
Shawn Conroy with the State Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division says they also hear of new data breaches on a regular basis.
Conroy says if you get one of those letters notifying you your information’s been exposed, and offer you free credit monitoring, “Sign up for that service. That way, if something happens with your credit, you’re going to be notified about it.”
He adds you should also think about freezing your credit, and he says be suspicious of any text or threatening phone call where people are asking for your information.
Conroy comments on the notorious Peach Pass text scam, saying ignore those suspicious texts.
“What we try to tell people is, do not trust any message coming to you saying that you won a prize or that you are going to be arrested because you missed jury duty,” explained Conroy.
He says you can verify that kind of information with the legitimate agencies. He also encourages taxpayers to set up a pin to help safeguard their IRS information, as tax scams pick up this time of year.
If you’ve lost money in a scam, the state’s Consumer Protection Division website also includes information on how to try to get it back.
WSB Radio’s Jennifer Perry contributed to this story.
