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University Police

Identity Security

According to the FBI, identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the US with more than 10 million victims each year. While it’s impossible to fully prevent identity theft, these tips can lower your risk and alert you to identity theft as soon as possible.

  • Monitor your credit report. Each of the 3 credit bureaus offers a free credit report each year, so request a report from one of the 3 every 4 months. Call 1 (877) 322-8228 or order online at annualcreditreport.com.
  • Do not carry your extra credit cards, Social Security card, birth certificate, or passport in your wallet or purse except when absolutely necessary to minimize the amount of information a thief can steal.
  • Make sure your devices are set to automatically download software updates. These over include fixes that make your device more secure.
  • Install virus and spyware detection software and keep them updated.
  • Never leave your purse or wallet unattended at work or in church, restaurants, health fitness clubs, parties, or shopping carts. Never leave your purse or wallet in open view in your car, even when your car is locked.
  • Destroy all checks immediately after you close a checking account. Destroy or keep in a secure place any courtesy checks that your bank or credit card company sends to you.
  • Pick up new checks from your bank or credit union instead of having them mailed to you.
  • Review credit and debit card statements regularly and dispute any charges you did not authorize.
  • Cancel inactive accounts.
  • Never give any credit card, bank, or Social Security information to anyone by telephone, even if you made the call, unless you can positively verify that the call is legitimate.
  • Safeguard your credit, debit, and ATM card receipts. Shred them before discarding.
  • Scrutinize your utility and subscription bills to make sure the charges are yours.
  • Do not write down PIN numbers, passwords, credit or debit card numbers, or social security numbers. Shred any documents these numbers appear on.
  • Keep a list of contact information for all of your financial institutions so that you can immediately notify them of lost/stolen cards or unauthorized charges.
  • Shred all credit offers before recycling.
  • If you normally receive a physical statement, notify the company if it’s ever late or missing.

Phishing & Fraudulent Emails

At times, you may receive fraudulent emails to your personal or school email. If this happens, do not reply to it or click any links. Use the Report Message feature in Outlook to alert ISU's cybersecurity team. You can find detailed instructions here.

Some tips on identifying a scam email:

  • Roll your mouse over the name of the sender. If a student is sending you an “official” notice such as financial aid information, it’s a scam.
  • Everyone makes mistakes, but a significant amount of spelling or grammar errors is a red flag.
  • If promise of payment is referred to as “US dollars” or “USD,” it’s likely a scam.
  • For more information please read  How to Recognize Phishing Emails Targeting Illinois State University  

If you do click any links or provide any type of information, contact ISUPD or IT Help. For more tips or assistance, visit IT Help’s website.