ID Theft General Facts
How Identity Theft Occurs
-Skilled identity thieves use a variety of methods to gain access to your personal information. For example:
-They get information from businesses or other institutions by:
- stealing records from their employer,
- bribing an employee who has access to these records, or
- hacking into the organization's computers.
-They rummage through your trash, the trash of businesses, or dumps in a practice known as "dumpster diving."
-They obtain credit reports by abusing their employer's authorized access to credit reports or by posing as a landlord, employer, or someone else who may have a legal right to the information.
-They steal credit and debit card numbers as your card is processed by using a special information storage device in a practice known as
" skimming."
Review your Credit Report Today! Privacy advocates advise consumers to protect themselves from identity theft and related crimes, by checking their credit reports twice a year, shredding personal documents before throwing them away and cleansing wallets of old receipts and printed social security numbers.
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-They steal wallets and purses containing identification and credit and bank cards.
-They steal mail, including bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, new checks, or tax information.
-They complete a "change of address form" to divert your mail to another location.
-They steal personal information from your home.
-They scam information from you by posing as a legitimate business person or government official.
Once identity thieves have your personal information, they may:
-Go on spending sprees using your credit and debit card account numbers to buy "big-ticket" items like computers that they can easily sell.
-Open a new credit card account, using your name, date of birth and SSN. When they don't pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report.
-Change the mailing address on your credit card account. The imposter then runs up charges on the account. Because the bills are being sent to the new address, it may take some time before you realize there's a problem.
-Take out auto loans in your name.
-Establish phone or wireless service in your name.
-Counterfeit checks or debit cards, and drain your bank account.
-Open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on that account.
-File for bankruptcy under your name to avoid paying debts they've incurred, or to avoid eviction.
-Give your name to the police during an arrest. If they are released and don't show up for their court date, an arrest warrant could be issued in your name.
How Can I Tell if I'm a Victim of Identity Theft?
Indications of identity theft can be:
- failing to receive bills or other mail signaling an address change by the identity thief;
- receiving credit cards for which you did not apply;
denial of credit for no apparent reason; or - receiving calls from debt collectors or companies about merchandise or services you didn't buy.
Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus. If it's accurate and includes only those activities you've authorized, chances are you're not a victim of identity theft.
| Protect Your Identity and Order Your 3 Bureau Credit Report Now! |
Managing Your Personal Information
So how can a responsible consumer minimize the risk of identity theft, as well as the potential for damage? When it involves your personal information, exercise caution and prudence.
Do It Now
-Place passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SSN or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers. When you're asked for your mother's maiden name on an application for a new account, try using a password instead.
-Secure personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having 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 your records are kept in a secure location. Ask about the disposal procedures for those records as well.
Everyday Diligence
-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 can be skilled liars, and may pose as representatives of banks, Internet service providers (ISPs) or even government agencies to get you to reveal identifying information. Before you divulge any personal information, confirm that you're dealing with a legitimate representative of a legitimate organization. Double check by calling customer service using the number on your account statement or in the telephone book.
-Guard your mail and trash from theft. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office instead of an unsecured mailbox. Remove mail from your mailbox promptly. 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 ask for a vacation hold. To thwart a thief who may pick through your trash or recycling bins, tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications or offers, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, and expired charge cards.
-Before revealing any identifying information (for example, on an application), ask how it will be used and secured, and whether it will be shared with others. Find out if you have a say about the use of your information. For example, can you choose to have it kept confidential?
-Keep your Social Security card in a secure place and give your SSN only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible. If your state uses your SSN as your driver's license number, ask to substitute another number.
-Limit the identification information and the number of credit and debit cards that you carry to what 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.
-Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work.
A Special Word About Social Security Numbers
-Very likely, your employer and financial institution will need your SSN for wage and tax reporting purposes. Other private businesses may ask you for your SSN to do a credit check, such as when you apply for a car loan. Sometimes, however, they simply want your SSN for general record keeping. If someone asks for your SSN, ask the following questions:
Why do you need it?
How will it be used?
How do you protect it from being stolen?
What will happen if I don’t give it to you?
-If you don’t provide your SSN, some businesses may not provide you with the service or benefit you want. Getting satisfactory answers to your questions will help you to decide whether you want to share your SSN with the business.
Consider Your Computer
Your computer can be a goldmine of personal information to an identity thief. Here's how you can safeguard your computer and the personal information it stores:
-Update your virus protection software regularly. Computer viruses can have damaging effects, including introducing program code that causes your computer to send out files or other stored information. Look for security repairs and patches you can download from your operating system's Web site.
-Don't download files from strangers or click on hyperlinks from people you don't know. Opening a file could expose your system to a computer virus or a program that could hijack your modem.
-Use a firewall, especially if you have a high-speed or "always on" connection to the Internet. The firewall allows you to limit uninvited access to your computer. Without a firewall, hackers can take over your computer and access sensitive information.
-Use a secure browser - software that encrypts or scrambles information you send over the Internet - to guard the safety of your online transactions. When you're submitting information, look for the "lock" icon on the status bar. It's a symbol that your information is secure during transmission.
-Try not to store financial information on your laptop unless absolutely necessary. If you do, use a "strong" password - that is, a combination of letters (upper and lower case), numbers and symbols.
-Avoid using an automatic log-in feature that saves your user name and password; and always log off when you're finished. If your laptop gets stolen, the thief will have a hard time accessing sensitive information.
-Delete any personal information stored on your computer before you dispose of it. Use a "wipe" utility program, which overwrites the entire hard drive and makes the files unrecoverable.
-Read Web site privacy policies. They should answer questions about the access to and accuracy, security and control of personal information the site collects, as well as how sensitive information will be used, and whether it will be provided to third parties.
If you feel you are a victim of Identity Theft, click here to learn more
