Answers from Our Care Team: How Do I Protect Myself from Identity and Privacy Threats?

The first thing to know about privacy and identity threats is that IDX offers a full array of advanced tools and services designed to help protect you. These range from ForgetMe, a tool that automatically removes your personal information from “people search” sites; to Password Manager, a convenient feature that uses military-grade encryption to protect your passwords from hacking-related breaches.

Beyond using these tools, here are some everyday tips to protect your privacy and identity:

• If you receive an unexpected email or text from a company or organization instructing you to click a link to download a computer program or application, don’t do it—it could be a scam. Fraudsters often include malicious links in their messages; if you click the link, you could be unknowingly downloading malware or spyware to your device.
• If you get a phone call claiming to be from a company or organization and you weren’t expecting to hear from them, don’t provide any sensitive personal information or agree to anything. After the call, find the contact information for the real company or organization, and contact them directly to see if the call was legitimate.
• Never accept a phone call from anyone claiming to be from the IRS. The IRS does not contact taxpayers by phone.
• Make it a habit to shred any documents containing your personal information as soon as you no longer need them.
• Never provide your Social Security number to any person without confirming that the person is representing a legitimate organization and there is a legitimate reason for the request.
• Set up multi-factor authentication—an extra security measure for your log-ins—on any online account that offers it as an option.
• Perform periodic security checkups on all of your important accounts: Confirm they have the correct information on file, including backup email addresses and phone numbers if possible.