What is identity theft?
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 cases are growing. An all-too-common example is when
an identity thief uses your personal information to open a credit card
account in your name.
No matter how cautious you are, there is no way to completely prevent
identity theft from occurring. But there are ways you can help minimize
your risk. This page contains valuable information on how you can
protect yourself by managing your personal information wisely, the
warning signs of identity theft, and what to do if you do become a
victim.
Back to the top
Helpful Tips
- Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail
or over the Internet unless you've initiated the contact or are sure
you know whom you're dealing with.
- Don't carry your Social Security card with you; leave it in a
secure place. Carry only the identification and credit and debit cards
that you need.
- Don't put your address, phone number, or drivers license number on
credit card sales receipts.
- Social Security numbers or phone numbers should not be put on your
checks.
- Shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications,
insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements,
expired charge cards that you're discarding, and credit offers you get
in the mail.
- Secure your credit card, bank, and phone accounts with passwords.
Avoid using easily available information like birth date, the last
four digits of your SSN, or your phone number. When opening new
accounts, you may find that many businesses still have a line on their
applications 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. Ask about the disposal
procedures for those records as well.
- Before revealing any personally identifying information (for
example, on an application), find out how it will be used and secured,
and whether it will be shared with others. Ask if you have a choice
about the use of your information. Can you choose to have it kept
confidential?
Back to the top
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. The law allows
credit bureaus to charge you up to $9.00 for a copy of your credit
report.
By checking your report on a regular basis you can catch mistakes and
fraud before they wreak havoc on your personal finances. Don't
underestimate the importance of this step.
Back to the top
Credit Bureaus
Equifax - www.equifax.com
To order your report, call: 1-800-685-1111
To report fraud, call: 1-800-525-6285
Experian - www.experian.com
To order your credit report or report fraud, call: 1-888-EXPERIAN
(397-3742)
TransUnion - www.transunion.com
To order your report, call: 800-916-8800
To report fraud, call: 1-800-680-7289
Back to the top
Warning signs
Although there may be no warning signs that precede an identity theft,
there are some reasons to be concerned. These include:
- 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 where you haven’t bought
anything.
- Collection agencies begin trying to collect on debts you don’t
recognize.
Back to the top
If you do become a victim
Sometimes an identity thief can strike even if you've been very
careful about keeping your personal information to yourself. If you
suspect that your personal information has been hijacked and
misappropriated to commit fraud or theft, take action immediately. Keep
a record of your conversations and correspondence.
Exactly which steps you should take to protect yourself depends on your
circumstances and how your identity has been misused. However, three
basic actions are appropriate in almost every case.
- Contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit
bureaus.
You should request that a "fraud alert" be placed in your file, as
well as a victim's statement asking that creditors call you before
opening any new accounts or changing your existing accounts. This can
help prevent an identity thief from opening additional accounts in
your name.
At the same time, order copies of your credit reports from the credit
bureaus. 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 your reports carefully to make sure no additional
fraudulent accounts have been opened in your name or unauthorized
changes made to your existing accounts. Also, check the section of
your report that lists "inquiries." Where "inquiries" appear from the
company(ies) that opened the fraudulent account(s), request that these
"inquiries" be removed from your report
Please note: Fraud alerts and victim statements are voluntary services
provided by the credit bureaus. Creditors do not have to consider them
when granting credit. That's why it's vital to continue checking your
reports periodically. In addition, fraud alerts and victim statements
expire; you need to renew them periodically. Ask each bureau about its
policy.
- 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
phone, 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 account activity to the issuing company immediately.
- 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 file a complete report.
Be persistent. Stress the importance of a police report, as many
creditors require one to resolve your dispute. Plus, credit bureaus
will automatically block the fraudulent accounts and bad debts from
appearing on your credit report, but only if you can give them a copy
of the police report. If you can't get the local police to take a
report, try your county police. If that doesn’t work, try your state
police.
Federal law enforcement
Also report the crime to the following federal law enforcement
agencies.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC is collecting identity theft complaints from consumers to
help law enforcement agencies worldwide.
Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Washington DC 20580
or Call 877-IDTHEFT
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
The FBI investigates cases of identity theft and recognizes that
identity theft is a component of many crimes. These include bank
fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, bankruptcy fraud, insurance fraud,
fraud against the government, and terrorism. Local offices are listed
in the Blue Pages of your telephone directory.
U.S. Secret Service (USSS)
The U.S. Secret Service investigates financial crimes, including
identity theft. The Secret Service typically investigates cases
involving larger dollar amounts, but regardless of your loss, the
information may provide evidence of a larger pattern of fraud
requiring their involvement. Local offices are listed in the Blue
Pages of your telephone directory.
Back to the top
|
