IDTheft

How identity thieves get your personal information:

They steal wallets and purses containing your identification and credit and bank card.

They steal your mail, including your bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, new checks, and tax information.

They complete a “change of address form” to divert your mail to another location.

They rummage through your trash, or the trash of businesses, for personal data in a practice known as “dumpster diving.”

They fraudulently obtain your credit report by posing as a landlord, employer or someone else who may have a legitimate need for, and legal right to, the information.

They find personal information you share on the internet.

They scam you, often through email, by posing as legitimate companies or government agencies you do business with.

They get your information from the workplace in a practice known as “business record theft” by stealing files out of offices where you’re a customer, employee, patient or student; bribing an employee who has access to your files; or “hacking” into electronic files.

If you are a victim,
Sometimes an identity thief can strike even if you’ve been careful about keeping your personal information to yourself. If you suspect that youre personal information has been hijacked and misappropriated to commit fraud or theft, take action immediately, and keep a record of your conversations and correspondence. You may want to use the form, “Chart your course of Action” from the Federal Trade Commission’s website. Exactly which steps you should take to protect yourself depends on your circumstances and how your identity has been misused. However, four basic actions are appropriate in almost every case.

Your First Four Steps;

1. Place a Fraud Alert on your credit reports and review your credit reports.
   
   Call the toll-free fraud number of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit report. This can help prevent an identity thief from opening additional accounts in your name. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will automatically be notified to place fraud alerts on your credit report, and all three reports will be sent to you free of charge.
   
   Equifax – to report fraud, call: 1-800-525-6285, and write: P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
   
   Experian – to report fraud, call: 1-888-397-3742, and write: P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
   
   TransUnion – to report fraud, call: 1-800-680-7289, and write: Fraud Victims Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
   
   O nce you receive your reports, review them carefully. Look for inquiries you didn’t initiate, accounts you didn’t open, and unexplained debts on your true accounts. Where “inquiries” appear from the company(ies) that opened the fraudulent account(s), request that these “inquiries” be removed from your report. You also should check that information such as your SSN, address(es), name or initial, and employers are correct. Inaccuracies in this information also may be due to typographical errors. Nevertheless, whether the inaccuracies are due to fraud or error, you should notify the credit bureau as soon as possible by telephone and in writing. You should continue to check your reports periodically, especially in the first year after you’ve discovered the theft, to make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred. The automated “one-call” fraud alert process only works for the initial placement of your fraud alert. Orders for additional credit reports or renewals of your fraud alerts must be made separately at each of the three major credit bureaus.
   
2. Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
   
   Credit Accounts
   
   Credit accounts include all accounts with banks, credit card companies and other lenders, and phone companies, utilities, ISPs, and other service providers.
   
   I f you’re closing existing accounts and opening new ones, use new Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and passwords.
   
   IF there are fraudulent charges or debits, ask the company about the following forms for disputing those transactions.
   
   For new unauthorized accounts, ask if the company accepts the ID Theft Affidavit (available at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/affidavit.pdf). If they don’t, ask the representative to send you the company’s fraud dispute forms.
   
   For your existing accounts, ask the representative to send you the company’s fraud dispute forms.
   
   If your ATM card has been lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised, cancel the card as soon as you can. Get a new card with a new PIN.
   
   Checks.
   
   If your checks have been stolen or misused, close the account and ask your bank to notify the appropriate check verification service. While no federal law limits your losses if someone steals yoru checks and forges your signature, state laws may protect you. Most states hold the bank responsible for losses from a forged check, but they also require you to take reasonable care of your account. For example, you may be held responsible for the forgery if you fail to notify the bank in a timely way that a check was lost or stolen. Contact your state banking or consumer protection agency for more information.
   
   You also should contact these major check verification companies. Ask that retailers who use their databases not accept your checks.
   
   TeleCheck – 1-800-710-9898 or 927-0188
   Certegy, Inc. – 1-800-437-5120
   International Check Services – 1-800-631-9656
   
3. File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.
   
   Keep a copy of the report. You may need it to validate your claims to creditors. If you can’t get a copy, at least get the report number.
   
4. File a complaint with the FTC.
   
   By sharing your identity theft complaint with the FTC, you will provide important information that can help law enforcement officials track down identity thieves and stop them. The FTC also can refer victim complaints to other appropriate government agencies and companies for further action. The FTC enters the information you provide into our secure database.
   
   To file a complaint or to learn more about the FTC’s Privacy Policy, visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft . If you don’t have access to the internet, you can call the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline: toll free 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338); TDD: 202-326-2502; or write: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580

Go to www.consumer.gov/idtheft, http://www.idtheftcenter.org/index.shtml, http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/idtheft.htm for more information.

If you are a victim of ID Theft these links may help you protect yourself and allow you to report any issues.

Social Security Administration
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10064.html

Credit Bureaus:

Transunion
http://www.transunion.com/index.jsp

Experian
http://www.experian.com/

Equifax
http://www.equifax.com/