Attorney General’s Office Warns of Compromised Info

The Attorney General’s office is warning Arkansans about the dangers of personal information being compromised. Arkansans’ personal information is being requested to make online purchases or sign up for subscriptions in the form of Security Questions. These “security questions” are often a great defense due to them only being able to be answered by yourself. However, more and more of these “fun” quizzes or surveys on social media invite folks to share information that is oftentimes used in these security questions. Most of these tend to look innocent such as, “share the name of your first pet, the street you grew up on, or the name of your favorite teacher. However, each time personal information is shared, it may make you vulnerable to having your secure information compromised or stolen. The following are tips to ensuring you are secure online as per the Federal Trade Commission.:

1. Review your credit report at least once a year.
2. Track your bank statements often and carefully. Looking for charges that you didn’t initiate.
3. Before making an online purchase, verify the company you are buying through.
4. Simply resist the urge to partake in social media quizzes or surveys that ask you to share personal information.

Committing identity theft in Arkansas is a felony and comes with a sentence that could include incarceration and fines up to $25,000. For more information on preventing identity theft visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website at identitytheft.gov