Credit Freezes: How to Prevent New Account Identity Theft

Defense against any kind of identity theft starts with vigilance about protecting your personal information by taking steps such as creating secure passwords, keeping your social security number private, and shredding personal documents.

However, if and when someone does steal your information, there are a variety of ways it can be used, depending on what was taken. One of those uses is known as new account identity theft, where someone opens a new account in your name and then proceeds to rack up a ton of debt. New account identity theft is the most preventable kind of identity theft and can be prevented by getting security freezes, also known as credit freezes.