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Guard against identity theft
He that filches from me my good name makes me poor indeed.
- William Shakespeare, Othello.
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the U.S. Identity thieves steal personal information like credit card account numbers, Social Security numbers (SSNs), names and telephone numbers to commit fraud.
For example, they may steal your wallet or rifle through your trash. Using the information they find, identity thieves could buy a car by taking out an auto loan in your name, charge items on your credit card, counterfeit checks or set up phone service using your name, all without you knowing about it.
Take these steps to avoid becoming a victim:
- Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every year. Make sure that each is accurate and includes only activities you've authorized. Catching inaccuracies on credit reports is the most common way consumers find out that they're victims of identity theft. Credit bureaus can charge you up to $9.00 for a copy of your credit report.
- Place Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) or passwords on your credit card, credit union and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your mothers maiden name, your birth date, a series of consecutive numbers, or the last four digits of your SSN or your phone number.
- Secure personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help or have service work done in your home.
- 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; they should be shredded.
- 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 who you're dealing with. Identity thieves may pose as representatives of credit unions, internet service providers and even government agencies and ask for your SSN, mothers maiden name, account numbers and other identifying information. Before you share any personal information, confirm that you are dealing with a legitimate organization.
- Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office, rather than in an unsecured mailbox. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox. If you're planning to be away from home and cant pick up your mail, contact your local Post Office or call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to request a vacation hold.
- Your garbage may be a treasure trove for an identity thief. Tear or shred (don't just toss out) your charge receipts, 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.
- Don't carry your SSN card; leave it in a secure place.
- Give your SSN only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible.
- Carry only the identification information and the number of credit and debit cards that you'll actually need.
- Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don't arrive on time. A missing credit card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks.
- Be wary of promotional scams. Identity thieves may use phony offers to get you to divulge personal information.
- Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work.
- don't put your SSN or drivers license number on your checks.
- Don't use automatic login features on your computer.
- Use different PINs or passwords for each account you have, change them often, and use combinations of letters and numbers, if possible.
- Try to remember PINs; Don't write them down.
What to do if you're a victim of identity theft
Identity theft is a serious crime. Victims can spend months or years and thousands of dollars cleaning up the mess. They may lose job opportunities, be refused loans or even be arrested for crimes they didn't commit.
If you suspect that your personal information has been hijacked, take action immediately and keep a record of all conversations and correspondence. Three basic actions are appropriate in almost every case.
1. Contact the fraud departments at the three major credit bureaus.
Inform the fraud departments that you are an identity theft victim. (use the list of credit bureaus farther down on this page as an accompanying "box" or side note to this story in your CU newsletter or on your web site). Ask 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 existing accounts.
Also order copies of your credit reports. Credit bureaus must give consumers a free copy if their report is inaccurate because of fraud and if the request is made in writing. Review the reports for new accounts or changes to existing accounts.
2. Close any affected accounts, cancel ATM cards and stop payment on checks. Close all accounts that may have been tampered with or opened without your consent. This includes credit cards and accounts with utilities and other service providers. When opening new accounts, create new PINs and passwords.
If an identity thief has opened a new, unauthorized account, or made unauthorized charges on an existing account, ask the company for its fraud dispute form. Many companies will accept the Federal Trade Commissions ID Theft Affidavit, which is available online at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
If your ATM card has been lost, stolen or otherwise compromised, cancel the card immediately and get a new one with a new PIN.
If your checks have been stolen or misused, close your checking account, stop payment on stolen checks and ask us at the credit union to notify our check verification service. You must take reasonable care of accounts in order to detect forgeries. Unless we are notified in a timely manner that a check is lost or stolen, you may still be liable for a forgery.
Contact major check verification companies directly for the following services:
3 . File a police report.
Report ID theft to the local police or to the police in the community where the theft occurred. Its in your best interest to furnish as much documentation as possible. Debt collection letters, credit reports, a copy of the FTCs ID Theft Affidavit and other evidence of fraudulent activity can help the police file a complete report.
Be persistent. Local authorities may say that they cant take a report. Stress to authorities the importance of a police report; many creditors require one to resolve the dispute. Credit bureaus will 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 cant get the local police to take a report, try the county sheriffs office.
Get a copy of the police report in case the credit union, credit card company or others need proof of the crime. Even if the police can't catch the identity thief, having a copy of the police report can help you deal with creditors.
The proofs in the credit report
Catching inaccuracies on credit reports is the most common way consumers find out that they're victims of identity theft. Members can order a copy of their credit report from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus every year. Members should be sure that each report is accurate and includes only activities they've authorized. Credit bureaus can charge up to $9.00 for a credit report.
Equifax
To order your report, call: (800) 685-1111
or write: P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
To report fraud, call: (800) 525-6285
and write: P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian
To order your report, call: (888) EXPERIAN (397-3742)
or write: P.O. Box 2104, Allen TX 75013
To report fraud, call: (888) EXPERIAN (397-3742)
and write: P.O. Box 9532, Allen TX 75013
TransUnion
To order your report, call: (800) 916-8800
or write: P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022.
To report fraud, call: (800) 680-7289
and write: Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634 |
