Reporting Identity Theft

To follow-up to our blog post about the breach of the IRS-DRT tax download tool to FAFSA, we advise everyone to check your financial accounts and credit reporting consistently to watch for fraudulent activity. Online tools are convenient and are usually encrypted to safely transfer personal data, but there can always be exceptions. Here are some websites and advice from https://studentaid.ed.gov to help you:

Reduce Your Risk When Applying for Aid

After completing the FAFSA online, exit the application and close the browser; any cookies created during your session will be deleted automatically.Review your financial aid award documents and keep track of the amounts you applied for and received.Never give personal information over the phone or internet unless you made the contact. If you have questions about an offer of aid or about your student loan account, ask your college or contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center.We securely store your information within the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS®) database and provide access to it on My Federal Student Aid. However, if you complete or even request a student loan application from a lender, you may be granting the lender permission to access your file. Before providing personal information to an organization, review its privacy policy.Keep receipts and documents (for example, credit applications or offers, checks and bank statements) with personal information in a safe place, and shred them when you are finished with them.Keep your purse or wallet safe at all times; store it and other items containing personal information in a secure place at home, especially if you have roommates.Immediately report all lost or stolen identification to the issuer (e.g., the credit card company or your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles) and to the police, if appropriate.

Report Identity Theft

If you suspect that your student or financial information has been stolen, it is important to act quickly. These offices will help you determine what steps to take depending on your situation:

Federal Trade CommissionSocial Security AdministrationEquifax Credit BureauExperian Information SolutionsTransUnion Credit Bureau

If you have any questions, please .