Identity Theft: Reduce Your Risk

Personal identity theft is defined by the secret and unlawful use of an individual's personal identifying information with the criminal intent of obtaining services, merchandise, money or credit to which the criminal has no legal right. Personal identifiers targeted by identity thieves may include:

• Bank account numbers
• Credit card numbers
• Driver's license
• Birth date
• Social security number
• Telephone number
• Address
• Passport number
• Insurance policy numbers
• Employee ID number
• Student ID number
• Mother's maiden name
• Account passwords
• Email addresses
• Social networking information
  

Reduce Your Risk

In their book, Identity Theft: A Reference Handbook, Sandra Hoffman and Tracy McGinley say that "a common scenario of a complete identity take over involves a stolen mother's maiden name." This piece of information begins the domino effect of allowing the criminal to obtain a birth certificate which they can then use to obtain a social security card and driver's license in the victim's name. From there, the field is wide open to open bank accounts, getting passports, setting up an apartment, etc...

Here are some ways to limit the likelihood that you will fall victim to identity theft. By developing these habits, you can minimize some of your risk:

• Check your credit reports at least annually, and verify all entries are linked to your own activities.
• Check your credit card statements each month for any unusual activity or address changes.
• Shred or burn all of you discarded mail and trash.
• Keep personal documents containing sensitive information in a locked filing cabinet or drawer.
• Be skeptical when asked for personal information. This is especially true on the internet and on the phone.
• On the internet, watch our for phishing schemes and fraudalent emails asking for account numbers and other sensitive information. If you are unsure, call your bank or credit card company and ask them if they sent the email.
• If someone calls you and offers merchandise in return for personal information, hang up. Legitimate companies don't need that information.
• Take advantage of easy-to-use security technology.
• Use strong passwords on your accounts, and never share them, even with family members.
• Avoid using any personal information in a password - no birthday, social security numbers, phone numbers, etc.
• Change passwords frequently
• Use unique passwords for each sensitive account.
• Never, never post your true birthdate or other sensitive information on social sites like Facebook.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Shield your ATM card and pin number from people behind and around. Or better yet, don't use ATMs if people are "hanging around".
• When you have your credit card out to pay for an item, keep it turned over, so the number can't be read by others.
• Don't give out personal information where others can overhear.
• Guard your mail. If your mailbox is unsecure, consider having all of your mail sent to a post office box. At least they are locked.
• Call 888-5-OPTOUT and tell them you don't want any prescreened credit card offers mailed to you.
• Protect your work badges which may contain your employee number.
  

Be Prepared

• Make a list of all your account contact phone numbers, so that you can easily contact them in an emergency.
• You can use a free program like Password Safe to hold account numbers and contact information all in one place.
• List the phone numbers of the fraud departments of the major credit reporting bureaus.
• List the phone number of your local law enforcement fraud department.
• If you have a passport, obtain the contact information for the Passport Services, US State Department.

What To Do If Your Identity is Compromised

No matter how careful you are, there's always some risk of identity theft. If you suspect you have become a victim of identity theft:

• Contact the three major credit bureaus and have them place a fraud alert on your credit report, and ask them to extend the alert for as long as you require. Follow up with a letter listing the information on your credit report that you feel is fraudalent.
• Obtain copies of all of credit reports at that point. If you tell them you suspect fraud, they should send you the reports as no charge.
• If you suspect any of your accounts, such as banking or credit cards, have been compromised, call the account manager immediately and close the accounts, or ask for advice on next steps.
• Notify your creditors of disputed items on your statements. Keep the originals of any documents you send to support your allegations.
• Don't pay any disputed bills, as this could be construed as a legal admission that the debts are yours.
• File a report with local law enforcement, or the police where the theft took place. Get a copy of the police report in case the bank or credit card company needs proof of the crime.
• File an ID Theft Affidavit complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. (You can obtain this form by calling 877-IDTHEFT).
• If you think someone is using your social security number, contact the SSA fraud line: 800-269-0271.

More Resources:

• ID Theft Center
• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
• National Consumer Protections

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