TYLER —
It's one of those moments that makes your cringe just to think about it.
You notice unfamiliar charges on your credit card you know you didn't make.
Or even worse --someone tries or succeeds at stealing your identity..
So what now? What can do to make sure this never happens to you?
According to the Federal Trade Commission ... in 2010, Texas ranked fifth among states for most reported identity theft cases.
Among U.S. metropolitan areas, Tyler ranked 59th.
But one person we spoke with, who declined to go on camera, recently got a call ... $15,000 dollars was charged on his credit card to a national church organization.
It prompted us to look into some preventative measures you can take, to decrease the likelihood of it happening.
The Consumer Federation of America recently launched a website, idtheftinfo.org, to help reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
It includes a list of ten easy steps to protect your personal information.
A spokesperson for LifeLock says the best thing you can do is be proactiv.
She also suggests going to annualcreditreport.com.
As soon as you see red flags, notify your creditors immediately.
File a police report, and report it to the Federal Trade Commission, too.