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DETER - MINIMIZE YOUR
RISK
While nothing can
guarantee that you won't become a victim of identity
theft, you can minimize your risk and minimize the
damage if a problem develops by making it more difficult
for identity thieves to access your personal
information.
Protect your Social
Security number
Don't carry your Social Security card in
your wallet or write your Social Security number on a
check. Give your Social Security number only when
absolutely necessary and ask to use other types of
identifiers.
Treat your
trash and mail carefully
Always shred your charge receipts, copies of credit
applications, insurance forms, physician statements,
checks and bank statements and expired charge cards that
you are discarding as well as credit offers you get in
the mail. To opt out of receiving prescreened
offers of credit in the mail, call: 1-888-5-OPT-OUT
(1-888-567-8688). Note: You will be asked to provide
your Social Security number which the consumer reporting
companies need to match you with your file.
Be on guard
when using the Internet
To help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure
your computer, and protect your personal information,
visit
www.OnGuardOnline.gov.
DETECT
IDENTITY THEFT
The best way to find
out if your identity has been stolen is to monitor your
accounts and bank statements each month and check your
credit report on a regular basis.
Credit reports
contain information about you, including what accounts
you have and how you pay your bills. The law requires
each of the major nationwide consumer reporting agencies
to provide you with a free copy of your credit report,
at your request, once every 12 months.
To order your free
annual report from one or all the national consumer
reporting companies, visit
www.annualcreditreport.com
or call toll-free 877-322-8228.
Once you get your
reports, review them carefully. Look for inquiries
from companies you haven't contacted, accounts you
didn't open and debts on your accounts that you can't
explain. Check that information, such as your
Social Security number, address, name or initials and
employers, are correct. If you find fraudulent or
inaccurate information, get it removed.
DEFEND: RECOVER FROM IDENTITY THEFT
If you are a victim
of identity theft, take the following four steps as soon
as possible, and
keep a record
with the details of your conversations and copies of all
correspondence.
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Place a
fraud alert on your credit reports, and review
your credit reports. Fraud alerts can help
prevent an identity thief from opening any more
accounts in your name. Contact the toll-free
fraud number of any of the three consumer
reporting companies below to place a fraud alert
on your credit report. You only need to contact
one of the three companies to place an alert. |
Equifax:
1-800-525-6285;
www.equifax.com
Experian:
1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
www.experian.com
TransUnion:
1-800-680-7289;
www.transunion.com
Once you place the
fraud alert
in your file, you are entitled to order one free copy of
your credit report from each of the three consumer
reporting companies, and, if you ask, only the last four
digits of your Social Security number will appear on
your credit reports.
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Close the
accounts that you know, or believe, have been
tampered with or opened fraudulently. Call and
speak with someone in the security or fraud
department of each company. Follow up in
writing and include copies (NOT originals) of
supporting documents. It's important to
notify credit card companies and banks in
writing. Send your letters by certified
mail, return receipt requested, so you can
document what the company received and when.
Keep a file of your correspondence and
enclosures.
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File a
complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
By sharing your identity theft complaint with
the FTC, you will provide important information
that can help law enforcement officials across
the nation track down identity thieves and stop
them. You can file a complaint with the FTC
using the
online complaint
form; or call the
FTC's Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free:
1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338).
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File a
report with your local police or the police in
the community where the identity theft took
place. Ask to get a copy of the report or
obtain the case number for future reference.
This information establishes that you have taken
the necessary steps. |
Armed with the
knowledge of how to protect yourself and take action,
you can make identity thieves' jobs much more difficult.
You can also help fight identity theft by educating your
friends, family and members of your community.
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