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Quiz: Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft

Test your fraud-prevention savvy

Christina Ianzito,

AARP

En español

Published March 15, 2023

8 Questions

3d3624ef-db22-42cb-8cc2-b0e0ed70549a

Quiz: Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft

[ {
  "question" : "True or false: It’s safer to pay bills with paper checks than online. ",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "True",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "False",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Online transactions are generally considered more secure than using paper checks, with mail theft a growing problem. Not only do they often include personal information, criminals can “wash” the stolen checks and direct the money to themselves.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What should you do if you get a call from your bank warning that there’s been unusual activity, and asking for information to verify your identity?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Verify your identity with the caller.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Hang up: It’s a scam.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Hang up and call your bank directly to find out if there’s a real issue with your account. ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Ask the caller if you can speak with a manager to confirm that the call is legit.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The caller could be an identity thief aiming to steal your account or personal information — or it could be a legitimate call. To find out, call the bank directly (don’t use the number the caller used).",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "How often should you check your credit report?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Never, you’ll be notified if there’s something wrong.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Annually, at least",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Every five years",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Every 10 years",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The federal Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) and other experts recommend checking your credit score with the three nationwide credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — at least once a year. Doing so is free.  ",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What is two-factor authentication?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Requiring an extra layer of security, such as a onetime passcode, to log in to a password-protected account",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Requiring an extra two-digit password, along with a regular password, to access an account",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Requiring both a username and hard-to-guess password to access an account",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Two-factor authentication makes your account more secure by requiring, for example, a onetime code sent to your mobile phone, along with your password.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What is a warning sign that your computer may be infected with malware?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "It sends emails to your contacts that you didn’t write",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "It won’t shut down",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Its battery runs out more quickly than it used to",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "All of the above",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Malware, unwanted software that gets installed on your device, allows criminals to steal your information and often interferes with the computer’s functioning.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Where does the federal government suggest you go for guidance if you’ve been the victim of identity fraud?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "The Federal Trade Commission ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "The Securities and Exchange Commission",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "The White House",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Start by reporting identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at IdentityTheft.gov or by phone at 1-877-438-4338.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What is the minimum number of characters needed for a strong password, according to the FTC?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "6",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "9",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "12",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "18",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The FTC says a strong password should have at least 12 characters, including a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols.  ",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "About how many reports of identity theft did the FTC receive last year?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "65,000",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "533,000",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "818,000",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "1.1 million",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "There were more than 1.1 million reports of identity theft last year; about 442,000 were related to credit card fraud, according to the FTC.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

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Christina Ianzito covers scams and fraud, and is the books editor for aarp.org and AARP The Magazine. Also a longtime travel writer and editor, she received a 2020 Lowell Thomas Award for travel writing from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.

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