Protect your personal information this holiday season

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Florida has the highest per capita rate of identity theft in the nation, which means Floridians are vulnerable to cyber criminals looking to poach their online information.

Call Christina: Preventing identity theft, what to do if you've been victimized

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) is reminding you to protect your personal information.

Call Christina: Florida Information Protection Act: What consumers need to know

According to the department's executive director, Jesse Panuccio, "At DEO, we are seeing identity theft every day with false claims for benefits and we are working diligently to safeguard taxpayers' investment in social services. We are reminding consumers to carefully monitor their personal and financial information to ensure they are protected from cybercrimes and cyberfraud."

Call Christina: Be #CyberAware: How to 'surf safely'

Protect yourself from identity theft and fraud this holiday season with these helpful tips:

Guard your online and hard copy information:

•             Protect yourself by clearing saved login and password information, and be sure to regularly change your passwords.

•             Shred and properly dispose of sensitive documents that contain your personal information.

Call Christina: Consumer protection attorney Jason Weaver discusses everything you need to know if you've been a victim of identity theft and how you can prevent identity theft.

Monitor your accounts:

Call Christina: How to monitor and challenge your credit score:

•             Monitor your bank accounts for suspicious purchases and check your credit report for changes.

•             Take advantage of free credit reports. You are entitled to a free annual credit report from each of the three credit monitoring bureaus. Contact the bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion directly.

Additional Call Christina consumer protection information:

Watch what you wear: Smartwatches vulnerable to attack

Pilfering privacy: Would you pay to keep info private?

Cyber hijackers hold personal data for ransom

Data security and privacy attorney Aldo Leiva discusses online security and privacy issues.

Cybersecurity expert Dave Aitel discusses online privacy concerns.

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