What is Identity Theft
How Do They Get Your Name
How To Deter ID Theft
1. Shred all personal information before throwing it away, including all junk mail and unwanted store receipts.
2. Review your credit reports once a year. The law requires the major nationwide consumer reporting companies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to give you a free copy of your credit report each year if you ask for it.(see RESOURCES) 3. Review your bank and credit card statements line by line every month. 4. Sign up for services that report any changes to your credit report (monthly fee). 5. Protect your mail from ID thieves. Never place out going mail in your mailbox; use the post office or a drop box. Remove your mail from your mailbox promptly; if you are going on vacation, place a ‘hold’ on your mail. 6. Do not carry social security cards in your purse/wallet. Remove extra credit cards and non-necessary information. 7. Place passwords on all credit card, bank, and utility accounts. Avoid using your mother’s maiden name or a birth date as a password. 8. Never give out personal information over the phone, Internet, or by mail unless you have initiated the contact or have verified the source. 9. Pay attention to your billing cycle. If a bill does not arrive on time, it could mean someone has taken over your account. 10. Never have new checks mailed to your house; always have them held at the bank for pick-up. 11. Find out who at work might have your personal information and make sure that they have it secured. 12. Protect your personal information at home from outside workers, roommates, and guests. 13. Remember not to leave any personal/sensitive information in your car. 14. Call the Pre-screening Opt Out number to end credit card offers. (see RESOURCES) What Do They Do with It Once a thief has your information there is no telling what they might do. Things to look out for are thieves: Using your Social Security Number to open new credit accounts. Using your credit card numbers for personal gain. Opening phone or utility services in your name. Giving your information to law enforcement to avoid personal sanctions (effecting your criminal/driving record). Opening a bank account in your name and writing bad checks. Using your personal information to deplete your bank accounts. How To Fix The Damage If you believe you have become a victim of ID theft, there are some critical steps you should take to help avoid further victimization. It is important to know that the process of fixing your name will take time, so make sure you keep detailed records of all your conversations and correspondence. 1. Call the fraud line for each of the credit reporting companies and ask them to place a ‘Fraud Alert’ on your report. Ask that a victim statement be added requiring creditors to call before opening new accounts. Ask for a copy of your credit report; the report is free for victims of fraud. Once you receive the report, check to see if there are any other fraudulent accounts opened. Check the ‘inquiries’ listed at the bottom, these tell you who has been looking at your credit and might give you tips as to where else your name was used to obtain credit. 2. Contact all the creditors involved in any fraud. Ask to speak with the creditor’s security or fraud department and notify them of the situation. Close all compromised accounts and open new accounts with different account numbers and new passwords. 3. Call your local police department and file a report; keep copies of the police report for your records. Even if the police are unable to catch the thief, these reports may be helpful in resolving your problems with creditors. If your mail was stolen call the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) (call local post office for number). 4. File an identity theft report with the Federal Trade commission (FTC). The FTC has compiled a secure consumer fraud database and may pass the information on to other agencies or companies that your have reported about. They also have numerous resources available to help victims of identity theft. 5. Request another copy of your credit report in the future to make sure all the corrections have been made. Resources Credit Bureaus Equifax P. O. Box 105873 Atlanta, GA 30348 Order Report# (800) 685-1111Fraud # (800) 525-6285Web site: http://www.equifax.com/ ExperianP.O. Box 596Pittsburgh, PA 15230Order Report # (888) 397-3742Fraud # (800) 311-4769Web site: http://www.experian.com/ Trans UnionP.O. Box 34012Fullerton, CA 92834Order Report # (800) 916-8800Fraud # (800) 680-7289Web site: http://www.tuc.com/
3. Review your bank and credit card statements line by line every month.
4. Sign up for services that report any changes to your credit report (monthly fee).
5. Protect your mail from ID thieves. Never place out going mail in your mailbox; use the post office or a drop box. Remove your mail from your mailbox promptly; if you are going on vacation, place a ‘hold’ on your mail.
6. Do not carry social security cards in your purse/wallet. Remove extra credit cards and non-necessary information.
7. Place passwords on all credit card, bank, and utility accounts. Avoid using your mother’s maiden name or a birth date as a password.
8. Never give out personal information over the phone, Internet, or by mail unless you have initiated the contact or have verified the source.
9. Pay attention to your billing cycle. If a bill does not arrive on time, it could mean someone has taken over your account.
10. Never have new checks mailed to your house; always have them held at the bank for pick-up.
11. Find out who at work might have your personal information and make sure that they have it secured.
12. Protect your personal information at home from outside workers, roommates, and guests.
13. Remember not to leave any personal/sensitive information in your car.
14. Call the Pre-screening Opt Out number to end credit card offers. (see RESOURCES)
What Do They Do with It
Once a thief has your information there is no telling what they might do. Things to look out for are thieves:
How To Fix The Damage
If you believe you have become a victim of ID theft, there are some critical steps you should take to help avoid further victimization. It is important to know that the process of fixing your name will take time, so make sure you keep detailed records of all your conversations and correspondence. 1. Call the fraud line for each of the credit reporting companies and ask them to place a ‘Fraud Alert’ on your report. Ask that a victim statement be added requiring creditors to call before opening new accounts. Ask for a copy of your credit report; the report is free for victims of fraud. Once you receive the report, check to see if there are any other fraudulent accounts opened. Check the ‘inquiries’ listed at the bottom, these tell you who has been looking at your credit and might give you tips as to where else your name was used to obtain credit.
2. Contact all the creditors involved in any fraud. Ask to speak with the creditor’s security or fraud department and notify them of the situation. Close all compromised accounts and open new accounts with different account numbers and new passwords.
3. Call your local police department and file a report; keep copies of the police report for your records. Even if the police are unable to catch the thief, these reports may be helpful in resolving your problems with creditors. If your mail was stolen call the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) (call local post office for number).
4. File an identity theft report with the Federal Trade commission (FTC). The FTC has compiled a secure consumer fraud database and may pass the information on to other agencies or companies that your have reported about. They also have numerous resources available to help victims of identity theft.
5. Request another copy of your credit report in the future to make sure all the corrections have been made.
Resources
Credit Bureaus Equifax P. O. Box 105873 Atlanta, GA 30348 Order Report# (800) 685-1111Fraud # (800) 525-6285Web site: http://www.equifax.com/ ExperianP.O. Box 596Pittsburgh, PA 15230Order Report # (888) 397-3742Fraud # (800) 311-4769Web site: http://www.experian.com/ Trans UnionP.O. Box 34012Fullerton, CA 92834Order Report # (800) 916-8800Fraud # (800) 680-7289Web site: http://www.tuc.com/