There are a lot of bad things that can happen in our “golden years,” and one of them is identity theft. Think about it.

You spend your entire life being honest, paying your bills on time, never shortchanging the grocery store clerk and making sure your taxes are paid on time.

Year after year, you do everything right to make sure you are following the rules, being a model customer and trustworthy citizen.

Then you find out that, somehow, a scammer has hijacked your identity.

Some of the signs that someone else is using your identity are subtle — like small, unexplainable charges showing up on your credit card statement, or a letter in the mail welcoming you as a new customer from a business you’ve never heard of.

In other cases, you notice that your bank accounts are being siphoned off without your authorization, or strange medical bills start showing up for things you never received or ordered.

Modern scammers are quick to exploit any online opportunities to snare your personal information, including your Social Security and Medicare account numbers, driver’s license information, not to mention your birthdate and home address.

Some scammers are just in business to steal this kind of information and sell it to other scammers on the web. Other scammers just put the information to immediate use to open new accounts in your name, collect unemployment or divert your tax refund to an account on the other side of the globe.

After your identity is lost to scammers, it takes a long time to repair the damage. Since just about everything we do in America is based on our Social Security numbers, it’s important to keep this information VERY SECURE.

Never give your Social Security number to anyone online, and if you respond to a text or email that asks for it, disengage immediately.

According to the Social Security Administration, you can get a new number in special circumstances after you make a personal appointment and show proof the theft of your number has caused you harm. And even then, it’s up to the Social Security folks to decide whether to give you a new number or not.

The best way to protect yourself against identity theft is to keep your personal information secure. When asked for your Social Security number, don’t automatically provide it without asking why your number is needed, how it will be used, and what happens if you refuse to provide it.

In many cases, your refusal will just be accepted without any consequence. Don’t carry your Social Security card around with you – leave it at home, or in a bank safe deposit box. Don’t write your number down and carry it around with you.

Things can happen, no matter how careful you are.

The AARP reports Americans lost $47 billion in identity fraud scams in 2024. That’s a lot of dough. Identity theft happens in many ways, so here are a few tips to keep your information safe:

• Use different passwords for every account you have. If you’re digitally savvy, consider using an online password manager. Don’t use a password like “1234567” or, worse yet, your birthdate.

• Use multifactor identification. If you have an option, ALWAYS add this extra layer of security to any account. Multifactor identification will usually involve an extra step when you are accessing your account, where you receive a one-time code number by phone, email or text that you enter to prove you are the actual owner of the account.

• Use a PIN to unlock your cellphone or computer every time you use it. Disabling PIN locks on your devices is an invitation to disaster.

• Shred your stuff! Grind up any document with your personal or financial information. When your trash is hauled to the dump, all of the papers just blow around in the wind. It’s not rocket science for someone to pick up your last bank statement and try to use it to access your accounts.

• Don’t use public Wi-Fi networks. Scammers sit near these areas with software programs that harvest your key clicks as you log on and go about your business. If you use a public network, often found in places like airports or libraries, use a VPN (virtual private network) service that renders your data unreadable to a fraudster.

Get ready

Springtime is firmly underway here in the Valley. Time to oil up your garden tools and get ready for mowing the lawn and trimming the hedges. Enjoy the better weather, and do what you need to do to keep your personal information safe and sound.

Protect yourself

Dave Long answers questions during a series of monthly talks on the latest scams, why scammers target seniors and how to protect personal information at 1 p.m. the fourth Thursday of every month at the Poland Township Government Center, 3339 Dobbins Road, Poland.

To report a scam or to ask questions, seniors may call county Senior Services Units. In Mahoning County, call Bob Schaeffer at 330-480-5078. In Trumbull County, call Don Hyde at 330-675-7096.

Dave Long of Poland, a Youngstown State University graduate, is a retired public affairs officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection who later worked as an Elder Scam Prevention Outreach specialist in Rochester, N.Y., before moving back to the Mahoning Valley.