Identity Theft

What can you do to protect yourself from Identity Theft and what can you do if you suspect that you are a victim of Identity Theft? Here are some useful tips:

1. Never give out your Social Security Number to someone you don’t know. For example, you get a telephone call from someone who says he or she is doing an investigation and your Social Security Number is needed to complete the investigation. Don’t give that person your number. Generally, release your Social Security Number only when it is absolutely necessary and when you are the one who has initiated the contact. And, never carry your Social Security Card with you. Keep it in a safe place.
2. Don’t just throw that Credit Card Application in the trash; shred it. Someone else may retrieve that application, complete it and send it in. You can also take the precaution of notifying the major credit card companies that only you may apply for credit under your name. Believe it or not, some students have found out that one of their parents or siblings have completed a Credit Card Application that was sent to the student’s home address.
3. When ordering new checks, have only your initials and last name put on the checks. That way, if someone takes your checkbook they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name but your bank will know how you sign your checks.
4. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, do not put the complete account number on the “For” line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels will not have access to it.
5. Put your work telephone number on your checks instead of your home number. If you have a P.O. Box, use that instead of your home address. Never have your Social Security Number printed on your checks. You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
6. Do not use your social Security Number as identification on your driver’s license.The BMV will provide an identification number.
7. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine, do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. If your wallet is stolen, you will have a record of what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call for reporting loss and canceling credit, ATM, and other bank cards. Keep the photocopy in a safe place and call the toll free numbers to report your loss immediately. Don’t forget to notify the local police Also, if you travel abroad, carry a photocopy of your passport.
8. Consider investing in a shredding machine, especially useful for those receipts that include your credit card number.
9. If you have been the victim of an ID theft, close the accounts you believe have been stolen; file a police report and send a copy to your credit card companies.Also, call the fraud departments of the three National Credit Reporting Agencies to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security Number. You should also call the Social Security Fraud Line and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC hotline number is 1-877-IDTHEFT. Counselors will take your complaint and advise you how to deal with credit related problems. You can fill out an ID Theft Affidavit which can be used with banks, credit grantors and consumer advocates to help restore your good name. Other relevant numbers are found below.
10. Be extremely careful when providing personal information on the world wide web. Before you make a purchase or agree to sell an item, check to be sure that the service provider has a system to verify the transaction. Often you will send money only to later discover that you were the victim of a fraud. Take the time to make sure that the transaction is legitimate. Only provide personal information when you are the one who initiated the contact.

Useful Information

Some important telephone numbers and websites:

Experian
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com

Equifax 
1-800-525-6285
www.equifax.com

Trans Union 
1-800-680-7289
www.transunion.com

Social Security Fraud Line
1-800-269-0271

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
1-877-FTC-HELP
www.ftc.gov

When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name 
www.consumer.gov/idtheft

National Fraud Information Center (NFIC)
1-800-876-7060
www.fraud.org

Social Security Administration (SSA)
1-800-772-1213
www.ssa.gov

U.S. Postal Inspection Service
www.usps.com/postalinspectors