Consumers can never let their guard down when it comes to identity theft, as personal information is much more accessible in an increasingly digital world.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft is when someone uses an individual's personal or financial information without his or her consent. Commonly stolen data includes addresses, credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security numbers, and medical insurance numbers. Although thieves can gather information by intercepting it through digital channels or simply by stealing mail or going through trash, many times people inadvertently share personal information with scammers themselves.

Common scams include phone scams, text links, phishing emails, Medicare card verification scams, and data breaches.

Phone scams may involve telemarketers trying to sell something in exchange for personal information given over the phone, as well as people impersonating government agencies or credit card companies. "Please confirm account information" or "We'll need your financial information to process" are some of the phrases these scams use. Personal information should never be given over the phone unless a person has confirmed that the individual he or she is speaking to is legitimate.

Scammers utilize text messages to try to gain information. The text includes a link to a site that will request personal information. Individuals should not respond to such texts, and they should avoid clicking on the links.

Phishing emails look like they come from legitimate sources, but they often contain malware that can infiltrate computers and other devices to steal identity data. Phishing increased during the COVID-19 lockdowns, as more people were working from home, according to the Identity Theft Research Center (ITRC).

Older individuals have long been targets of criminals. Seniors are now being called, emailed, or even visited in person by scammers claiming to represent Medicare. Perpetrators of this scam offer new services or new, chipped Medicare cards in exchange for verification of Medicare identification numbers. Medicare numbers should be carefully guarded, and seniors should keep in mind it is highly unlikely Medicare representatives will contact them in these ways.

Individuals do not have to be concerned with just a home computer or phone breach. Security experts indicate many major companies are being breached. By the time the companies discover that data was stolen, personal information, which usually includes credit card numbers, email addresses, and home addresses, may have been circulating for some time. While it is impossible for private citizens to prevent this type of data breach, a credit monitoring service can alert consumers if their information shows up where it does not belong.