SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Identity theft could happen to anyone.

A new study from the Better Business Bureau says the Federal Trade Commission received millions of reports of identity fraud over four years across North America.

There are different reasons why your personal information may be targeted.

“It could be that people have bad credit themselves and they need to get a new apartment or they need some medical care or they’re just looking to create a false identity,” Schmidt said.

Jessie Schimidt is the Vice President of the BBB in South Dakota.

She says there are some steps you can take to protect yourself like checking your credit report on a regular basis using the three credit reporting agencies.

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“You will see if anybody has attempted to open credit under your name. If there is a dispute on a bill, maybe you didn’t know about it,” Schmidt said.

You may also choose to freeze your credit.

“If you go to buy a new house, then you’re going to have to thaw it,” Schmidt said.

When you’re online, be sure to have strong passwords.

It’s one way college student Grace Strochein protects her identity.

“Making sure I don’t use my name or my last name in them, but our university does a really good job at protecting us from scams from an email standpoint, so say we get an email from an outside source it usually has a disclaimer or a star saying it is from an outside source and just be aware and be careful,” Stroschein said.

“The onus is really on us. And we think it shouldn’t be. ‘I shouldn’t have to go through all these steps.’ Sure, you shouldn’t. The reality is, you need to,” Schmidt said.

To see the full report and other ways to protect yourself, click here.