Fight Identity Theft

The ID Thief's Methods are Well Known:

Your Personal information is vulnerable to identity theft through a variety of methods:

1. Dumpster Diving: Your trash, or the trash of businesses you frequent, could be worth thousands of dollars to the identity thief if it contains discarded bills or other paper that displays your personal information.



2. Skimming: Dishonest businesses or their employee can steal your credit card or debit card information using special equipment that stores the information during the processing of your card.



3. Phishing: The spread of computers into more and more homes has provided the identity thief with a rich, faceless environment that makes stealing identities incredibly easy. By simply pretending to be different financial institutions or companies the thief sends spam or pop-up messages that provide links to fake, identical websites, of those institutions or companies, that trick you into revealing your personal information.



4. Changing Your Address: Billing statements are diverted to an alternate location by simply completing a *change of address* form.



5. Old-Fashioned Stealing: Wallets and purses are stolen; outgoing and incoming mail is stolen right out of mailboxes, bank and credit card statements or payments included. Incoming mail may provide them with pre-approved credit offers, new checks or tax information. Personnel records are stolen from employers, or an employee with access to those records is bribed to steal them.

Prevention:

Regardless of how it happens Identity theft is a serious crime with you as the victim that has had personal information stolen and used, without your knowledge, to commit a crime. Identity theft will consume your time and your money to clean up. Identity theft will destroy your credit and ruin your good name, possibly forever depending on the tenacity of your identity thief.

Prevent identity theft by protecting your personal information.

You are the first line of defense in protecting your identity! While the methods listed above are the actions that can be taken to get your personal information how you handle your personal information can have an immense impact on whether your ID is actually stolen or not.

• All financial documents and paperwork with personal information has to be shredded before you discard it. No exceptions!
  
• Your Social Security number was never intended to act as your primary identification. Keep your original Social Security card in a secure location. Never carry the card in your wallet. Never write the number on a check. Never allow its use on your driver's license. If asked to provide it as ID insist on using another identifier.
  
• Never give out your personal information over the phone, through the mail, or the Internet unless you inititated the original contact and are positive you know who you are dealing with.
  
• Never, never, never click on links sent in unsolicited emails. Develop the habit of opening your browser and typing in the web address you know. Always use Firewalls, Anti-Spyware, and Anti-virus software to protect your home computer. Always keep them updated. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov for more information.
  
• When registering for internet services never use obvious passwords; for example, your birth date, your mother's maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
  
• If you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your house, insure that your personal information is kept in a secure location at home.

Detection

Routine monitoring of your financial accounts and billing statements online, at least weekly, will help you identify suspicious activity quickly.

EXCEPTION: If you have a debit card you should check your online bank account ONCE A DAY, EVERY DAY! Theft through fraudulently obtained debit card information is probably the fastest growing crime because the criminal obtains direct access to cash! Your cash! In your checking account!

What requires immediate attention?:

• Any Bills or statements that do not arrive when expected.
• Credit cards or account statements from institutions unknown to you.
• Credit denied for no apparent reason.
• Businesses contacting you by phone or letter about purchases you never made.

Be Pro-Active - Inspect:

• Obtain your credit report. All your credit information, including what accounts you have and your bill paying history are contained in your Credit report.
  
  • By law the major nationwide consumer reporting companies—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion— are required to give you a free copy of your credit report each year, BUT ONLY if you ask for it.
  
  
  • Visit Annual Credit Report or call 1-877-322-8228. Annual Credit Report is a service created by the three companies to provide a way for you to order your free credit reports each year. You also can write: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
  
  
• Financial Statements. Review Bank, Credit Card and Charge Card statements on a monthly basis, looking for discrepancies and charges you did not make.

Be your own advocate, defend against id theft

Report ID theft as soon as you suspect it.

• Equifax, Experian or TransUnion should be notified immediately to place a Fraud Alert on your credit report. It is not necessary to contact all three. Contacting one will activate a Fraud Alert on your reports at all three. Fraud Alerts tell creditors they must follow certain procedures prior to opening a new account in your name or making changes to your existing accounts.
  
  
  • Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
    
  • Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
    
  • TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
    

  Contacting any of the above agencies to place a fraud alert on your account entitles you to free copies of your credit reports. Look for:
  
  

  • inquiries from companies you have not contacted
  • accounts you didn't open
  • debts on your accounts that you can't explain

• Close Accounts. Close all accounts that show they have been tampered with or established fraudulently.
  
  
  • Immediately call each company where an account was opened or changed without your okay. You must talk to the security or fraud department, providing any information they require to rectify the problem. Take careful notes and make sure you get everything you need from each company in order to Follow up in Writing by providing physical copies of all supporting documents.
    
    
  • Use the FTC's ID Theft Affidavit ftc.gov/idtheft to support your written statement.
    
    
  • Keep detailed notes of your conversation with each company. Ask for written verification that disputed accounts have been closed, the fraudulent debts cancelled and the credit agencies notified of that cancellation. Make sure you have all the following information before you disconnect:
    
    
    • the name of the representative you talked to
    • the date and time the conversation took place
    • actions you were assured would be taken
    • how long you were told it would take to accomplish the cancellation
    • when you can expect the credit agencies to be notified that the matter has been rectified
    
    
    
  • Keep photo copies of all documents and records of your conversations about the theft.
    
    

• File a police report. Creditors who may want proof of the crime so filing a police report, with local law enforcement officials, will help provide that proof.
  
  

• The theft must be reported to the Federal Trade Commission. Filing an FTC report helps law enforcement officials nationwide in their investigations into Identity Theft.
  
  
  • Online: ftc.gov/idtheft
    
  • By phone: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338) or TTY, 1-866-653-4261
    
  • By mail: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580

More information about ID theft and how to Prevent, Detect, and Defend against it, go to: ftc.gov/idtheft, or request copies of ID theft resources by writing to:

Consumer Response Center
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, H-130
Washington, DC 20580