Identity Theft: Your Digital Footprint and How to Protect It

Your digital footprint is the trail of information you leave behind whenever you go online. That includes things like:

• The websites you visit
• The apps you use
• Your username and passwords
• Your email address and phone number
• Any payment information used

Identity Theft is when someone steals your personal information and pretends to be you. They do things like:

• Open credit cards or bank accounts in your name
• Make purchases using your payment information
• Try to scam your friends or family by pretending to be you

Here are some simple yet effective tips:

• Don’t share personal information- like your full name, birthday, school name, or address online- especially on public profiles
• Use strong passwords- make a different password for every account and make sure they are not easy to guess
• Use Multi Factor Authentication- like enabling a code to be sent to your phone
• Watch out for scams- don’t click links in emails or text messages you weren’t expecting to get
• Ask for help- if you see or receive something suspicious, or think someone is pretending to be you, talk to a trusted adult right away