Identity Theft Awareness Week 2026
01/28/2026
Identity Theft Awareness Week 2026
Welcome to Identity Theft Awareness Week 2026! This week is meant to remind consumers that their personal information is one of their most valuable (and vulnerable) assets. Identity theft impacts millions of people across the United States and around the world. Therefore, it is important to not only understand the risks identity theft poses, but to also empower ourselves with knowledge.
Identity theft occurs when someone uses stolen personal information such as your Social Security Number, bank details, or account credentials without your permission. This can be for opening credit cards, taking out loans, or making bank transactions in your name. The consequences of this can be difficult to mitigate and far-reaching: drained bank accounts, damaged credit scores, denied loans, and hours spent trying to restore your good name.
What makes identity theft particularly scary is that it can be done in silence. Many victims do not even know their information has been stolen until significant damage has been done. Tactics to gain personally identifying information such as phishing emails and texts messages, impersonating trusted institutions, and data breaches can be successful because victims don’t always know they’ve happened. In the digital-first environment we live in, consumers have threats coming at them from every angle, and it can be hard to keep up. Even worse is that traditional threats like stolen mail or lost wallets also still play a role.
Identity Theft Awareness Week is an opportunity to pause and take proactive steps to protect your sensitive information.
Start by reviewing your financial statements and credit reports regularly. Consumers are entitled to one free credit report via AnnualCreditReport.com every year. This will allow you to spot any suspicious activity as early as possible.
Next, review your passwords and make sure they are strong. Make sure every one of your passwords is unique and makes use of different characters. You should also make use of multi-factor authentication wherever available.
Lastly, be cautious about what you share online. Many criminals gather information from social media websites to curate victim information. You should also be very cautious about unexpected requests for personal information. Always verify them with a trusted method!
Education, however, is going to be your greatest tool against identity theft. Understanding common scams helps you recognize red flags before it is too late. If you encounter someone urging you for immediate action or threatening you for sensitive information, you will recognize them as classic warning signs. Once you recognize the threat, the best practice is to always cease communication and contact the organization at a trusted method.
If you do unfortunately find yourself a victim of identity theft, know that you are not alone. Recovery is possible, and there are many resources available to you. Check out the links below for some helpful resources and videos that may help you as you navigate recovering from identity theft.
Hopefully during this Identity Theft Awareness Week, we can shift the focus from fear to preparedness. Together, we can help each other stay informed and vigilant against identity thieves!
Sources:
https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/identity-theft-awareness-week
https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/identity-theft-awareness-week
https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/identity-theft-awareness-week
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7C978CB1DE5CD4B0