--------------------------------------------------------------- Summary
Identity theft is when an individual or group
obtains some piece of your sensitive information
(like your Social Security number, date of
birth, address, and phone number) and uses
it without your knowledge to commit fraud
or theft.
Although the problem is
nationwide and constantly changing, states
with the highest incidence of identity theft
reported include California, New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida,
Georgia, Texas, Illinois, and Washington.
Interesting
Statistics
Credit card fraud leads
the list of identity theft crimes.
Nearly 32% of all reported
identity thefts are committed by a family
member.
How To Tell If You're
a Victim of Identity Theft Monitor the balances
of your financial accounts. Look for unexplained
charges or withdrawals. There are other indications
of identity theft, which include:
Failing to receive bills
or other mail that may signal an address
change by an identity thief.
Receiving credit cards
that you never applied for.
Receiving calls from
Debt Collectors or companies about merchandise
or services you never purchased.
Steps
to Take if Your Identity Has Been Stolen
I f you believe that your personal information
has been used to commit fraud or theft, take
the following steps as soon as possible. Make
sure to follow-up all phone calls in writing.
Additionally send any letters by certified
mail, and request a return receipt (so you
can document what the company received and
when). Keep copies of all of this correspondence
for your files.
1) Credit reports.
Contact any one of the three
nationwide credit bureaus to place a fraud
alert on your credit report. Fraud
alerts can help prevent an identity thief
from opening any more accounts in your name.
Whichever credit bureau you call is required
to contact the other two, which should place
an alert on their versions of your report
as well. Still ensure to review all of your
credit reports shortly after.
In addition to placing
the fraud alert
on your file, the three
credit bureaus will send you free copies
of your credit reports, and, if you ask, they
will display only the last four digits of
your Social Security number on your credit
reports. (Whenever possible try to limit sensitive
information, like your full SSN, being displayed
on correspondence that comes to you.)
2) Close accounts. Contact the security
or fraud department of each company where
you know, or believe, accounts have been tampered
with or opened fraudulently. 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 any enclosures/attachments.
When you open new accounts,
use new Personal Identification
Numbers (PINs) and passwords. Avoid using
easily available information like your mother's
maiden name, your birth date, the last four
digits of your Social Security number or your
phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.
(You're trying to make it harder for someone
to just guess your PIN.)
3) Police authority.
Get a copy of the police report or, at the
very least, the number of the report. It can
help you deal with creditors who need proof
of the crime. If the police are reluctant
to take your report, ask to file a "Miscellaneous
Incidents" report, or try another jurisdiction,
like your state police. You also can check
with your state Attorney
General's office to find out if state
law requires the police to take reports for
identity theft.
4) File report with FTC. By sharing
your identity theft complaint with the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC), you will provide important
information that can help law enforcement
officials across the nation track down identity
thieves and stop them. The FTC can also refer
your complaint to other government agencies,
companies and authorities for further action,
as well as investigate companies for violations
of laws that the FTC enforces.
You can file a complaint
online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
If you don't have Internet access, call the
FTC's Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free: 1-877-IDTHEFT
(438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261; or write:
Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade
Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington,
DC 20580.
More
Articles on ID Theft
More information can be found at:
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In
Brief
There are millions of
US consumers who have been the subject of ID Theft
There are steps you
can take to try protect your sensitive information
Always be careful of
giving out your sensitive information to someone
you don't know
Help other consumers. Go to
the Feedback button below and share an approach
that worked for you, review or offer an experience.
