Michigan is the 8th Worst State For Identity Theft and Fraud, Here Are Four Tips to Avoid it Happening to You

With December being National Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month the free credit-monitoring website WalletHub today released its in-depth analysis that identifies 2016’s States Most Vulnerable to Identity Theft & Fraud.

Michigan did not do well.
To measure the level of susceptibility to such crimes for each state, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across six key metrics. The data set ranges from “identity-theft complaints per capita” to “average loss amount due to fraud.”

Here's how Michigan did in the main categories:

Michigan’s Vulnerability to Identity Theft & Fraud (1=Most Vulnerable; 25=Avg.)

• 7^th – Identity-Theft Complaints per Capita
• 21^st – Avg. Loss Amount Due to Online Identity Theft
• 1^st – Fraud & Other Complaints per Capita
• 25^th – State Security-Freeze Laws for Minors’ Credit Reports
• 1^st – Identity-Theft Passport Program

The nerds at IBM posted a bunch of tips to help make sure your identity doesn't get stolen if you shop online.  Some are things you've heard before, like use your credit card instead of your debit so hackers can't drain your bank account.  But here are four you might not think about . . .

1.  Don't let websites save your information for future purchases.  Your chances of being hacked go way up if you do.  Sometimes websites get compromised and don't know it for months.  So it's even risky with websites you think you can trust.

2.  Be careful about emails that include coupon codes or links to deals.  Especially if it's from a website you're not familiar with.  And just to be safe, you should copy and paste any coupon codes into the actual website.  Don't click a link in your email to use them.

3.  Never use your work email as your username on store websites.  And you should never use the same password you use to SIGN IN to your work email.  If the wrong person gets your work email AND password, your company could get hacked.

4.  Look out for fake package-tracking emails over the next few weeks.  Experts think there might be a flood of them next month.  And if you click the links, hackers could get access to your computer or your financial info.