Identity theft occurs when someone acquires your personal information and uses it without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft. It is a serious crime and its occurrence is increasing. A common example of identity theft is that of a thief using your personal information to open a credit card account in your name.
Regardless of how cautious you are, there is no way to completely prevent identity theft from occurring. However, there are ways you can help minimize the risk to yourself. This page contains valuable information you may use to protect yourself and your personal information, warnings signs of identity theft, and what to do if you become a victim.
USEFUL TIPS
Don’t give out personal information over the telephone, through the mail, or through the Internet – unless you initiated the contact or are sure you know with whom you are dealing.
Don’t carry your Social Security card with you; leave it in a secure place. Carry only the identification and credit/debit cards you need.
Don’t put your address, phone number, or driver’s license number on credit card sales receipts.
Don’t put telephone numbers or Social Security numbers on your checks.
Shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired credit cards, and credit card offers you receive in the mail.
Secure your credit card, bank, and telephone accounts with passwords. Avoid using easily available information like your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number, or your telephone number. When opening new accounts, you may be asked for your mother’s maiden name – use a password instead.
Secure personal information in your home – particularly if you have roommates or hire outside help.
Promptly remove mail from your mailbox. If you’re planning to be away from home and can’t pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to request a vacation hold.
Ask about information security procedures in your workplace. Find out who has access to your personal information and verify that records are kept in a secure location. Also ask about the disposal procedure for those records.
Before you provide any personal information (i.e. – on an application), find out how it will be used, how it will be secured, and whether it will be shared with other individuals or firms. Ask if you have a choice about the use of your information – can you choose to have it kept confidential?
CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORT
Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies – every year. Make sure it is accurate and includes only those activities you have authorized. By checking your credit report on a regular basis you can identify mistakes and fraud before they cause you financial grief. Don’t underestimate the importance of this step.
MAJOR CREDIT REPORTING AGENCIES
Equifax www.equifax.com
To order your credit report, call: 1-800-685-1111
To report fraud, call: 1-800-525-6285
Experian www.experian.com
To order your credit report, or, to report fraud, call: 1-800-397-3742
TransUnion www.transunion.com
To order your credit report, call: 1-800-916-8800
To report fraud, call: 1-800-680-7289
WARNING SIGNS
There may be no warning signs that precede identity theft, but there are warning signs that may tell you it has happened:
Your bills or statements don’t arrive on time. A missing credit card bill could mean someone has taken over your account and changed your billing address.
You are denied credit for no apparent reason.
You begin to receive bills from companies from whom you haven’t purchased anything.
Collection agencies begin trying to collect on debts you don’t recognize.
IF YOU DO BECOME A VICTIM
If you suspect that your personal information has been misappropriated and used to commit fraud or theft, take action immediately. Keep a detailed record of your conversations and correspondence with creditors, credit reporting agencies, and law enforcement agencies.
Which steps you should take to protect yourself will depend on your particular circumstances and how your identity has been misused. There are, however, three basic action steps which are almost always appropriate to take:
CONTACT THE FRAUD DEPARTMENTS OF EACH OF THE THREE MAJOR CREDIT REPORTING
AGENCIES.
Request a “Fraud Alert” be placed in your credit file
Request a “Victim’s Statement” be placed in your credit file, asking that creditors call you before opening any new accounts or changing your existing account information. This can help prevent an identity thief from opening additional accounts in your name.
Note: “Fraud Alerts” and “Victim’s Statements” are voluntary services provided by the credit reporting agencies. Creditors do not have to consider them when granting credit. That’s why it is extremely important to continue to check your credit reports periodically. In addition, “Fraud Alerts” and “Victim’s Statements” expire; you’ll need to renew them periodically. Ask each credit reporting agency about its policy.
Order copies of your credit report from each of these major credit reporting agencies.
Credit bureaus must give you a free copy of your report if your report is inaccurate because of fraud – and you request it in writing.
Review the reports carefully looking for additional accounts which have been fraudulently opened in your name – or unauthorized changes made to your existing accounts.
Check the section of the reports which list “Inquiries”. Request that inquiries from companies, where fraudulent accounts have been opened, be removed from your report.
CLOSE ALL ACCOUNTS THAT YOU KNOW OR BELIEVE HAVE BEEN TAMPERED WITH OR OPENED FRAUDULENTLY.
Notify all creditors and financial institutions, in writing and by telephone, that your name and accounts have been used without your permission.
If an existing account has been stolen, ask the creditor or bank to issue you new cards, checks, and account numbers.
Carefully monitor the new accounts for signs of unauthorized activity.
FILE A POLICE REPORT.
Provide as much documentation as you can, such as debt collection letters, credit reports, and other evidence of fraudulent activity. This information will help the police complete a report.
Be persistent, many creditors require a police report to resolve your dispute. In addition, credit reporting agencies will automatically block the fraudulent accounts and bad debts from appearing on your credit report – but only if you provide them with a copy of the police report.
If you are unable to get the local police department to take a report, try the county Sheriff’s office or other local law enforcement agency. If that fails, try the State Police.
FILE REPORTS WITH FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20580
Phone: 877-IDTHEFT
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Local offices are listed in the U.S. Government pages of your phone directory
U.S. Secret Service (USSS)
While they typically investigate larger dollar crimes, your loss may be part of a much larger scheme. Give them a call. Local offices are listed in the U.S. Government pages of your phone directory.
