{Photograph of open wallet showing credit cards}

What Is Identity Theft?

Identity theft involves acquiring key pieces of someone’s identifying information, such as name, address, birth date, social security number, and mother’s maiden name without your permission to commit fraud. This information enables the identity thief to commit numerous forms of fraud which include, but are not limited to, taking over the victim’s financial accounts, opening back accounts, purchasing automobiles, applying for loans, credit cards and social security benefits, renting apartments, and establishing services with utility and phone companies.

How Identity Theft Occurs

Various methods are used to gain access to you personal information. For example, thieves get information from businesses or other institutions by:

• stealing records from their employer
• bribing an employee who has access to these records
• hacking into the organization’s computer

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”.

They steal wallets and purses containing identification and credit and bankcards.

They steal mail, including credit and bankcard 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.

Thieves rummage through your trash, or the trash of businesses or dumps in a practice known as “dumpster diving”.

What you can do today

• Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus.
• Place passwords on your credit card, bank, and phone accounts.
• Secure personal information in your home.
• Ask about information security procedures in your workplace.
• Maintain vigilance
• Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus once a year.
• Do not give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you have invited the contact or are sure you know who your are dealing with.
• Guard your mail and trash from theft.
• Do not carry your SSN card or give your SSN unless absolutely necessary.
• Carry only the identification information and the number of credit and debit cards that you will actually need
• Pay attention to your billing cycles
• Be wary of promotional scams.
• Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place.

If you are a Victim

If you suspect that your personal information has been hijacked and misappropriated to commit fraud or theft, take action immediately, and keep a record of your conversation and correspondence.

1^st step Place a fraud alert on your credit reports and review your credit reports. Call the toll-free number of any one of the three major credit bureaus. 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.

To report fraud:

Equifax
Call 1-800-525-6285
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian
Call 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
P.O. Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion
Call 1-800-680-7289
Fraud Victim Assistance Pision
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

2^nd step Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.

Close credit accounts including bank accounts, credit card companies and other lenders, and phone companies, utilities, ISP’s, and other service providers.

If your checks have been stolen or misused, close the account and ask the bank to notify the appropriate check verification service. (While no federal law limits your losses if someone steals your 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 manner that a check was lost of stolen. Contact your state banking or consumer protection agency for more information.

You should contact the 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
• Call SCAN (1-800-262-7771) to find out if the identity thief has been passing bad checks in your name.

3^rd step 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 cannot get a copy, at least get the report number.

4^th step File a complaint with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). To learn more about the FTC’s Privacy Policy, go to: www.consumer.gov/idtheft. If you do not have access to the internet, you can call the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline: toll-free –1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338); TDD: 202-325-2502; or write: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580.

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