How to spot and prevent identity theft during the holiday season

KSNF/KODE — December is Identity Theft Awareness Month.

Better Business Bureau officials say scammers will portray someone of significance and usually communicate with people via text or email.

They'll ask for personal information, or send an attachment for someone to click on.

Experts say clicking on the link will attach dangerous malware to your device, allowing scammers to obtain your personal information, and ultimately steal your identity.

BBB officials encourage viewing your financial statements for unidentified charges.

They also recommend checking your credit each year - to look for any unrecognized accounts you didn't open - or credit pulls you didn't request.

"... or watching out for your mail even. A lot of people tend to ignore their mail - things that might look like junk mail. If it's an account you don't recognize, that could be a sign that your identity has been stolen," said Pamela Hernandez, BBB Springfield regional director.

If you think you're a victim of identity theft - the BBB has an online toolkit to help you recover.