Identity theft is a rapidly growing concern that has been labeled the nation’s fastest
growing crime. Everyday, individuals and businesses are affected in some way by
identity theft. The problem does not appear to be going away anytime soon. The information
on this site will help you guard against identity thefts.
During the 1990s, cases of identity theft increased dramatically. In 1995, identity
theft crimes accounted for 93% of arrests made by the U.S. Secret Service's Financial
Crimes Division. According to a recent FTC survey, over the past five years more
than 27.3 million Americans have been victimized by identity theft. Currently, the
FBI has labeled identity theft as the nation's fastest growing crime.
On October 30, 1998, the Federal government enacted The Identity Theft and Assumption
Deterrence Act of 1998 as a way to help combat the explosive growth of identity
theft cases. This new act makes identity theft a Federal crime punishable by up
to 15 years imprisonment and fines of up to $250,000.
Carelessness of credit card grantors
Credit grantors, by way of their competitive zeal, make it all too easy to for identity
thieves obtain credit in another's name by not adequately checking identities of
applicants before granting credit. Instant credit opportunities are especially popular
with identity thieves for this reason.
Ease of obtaining personal information
Unfortunately, identity thieves can easily obtain the information needed, especially
Social Security numbers.
Increase of internet use
Perpetrators act as hackers who intercept personal information while victims are
online, either through website entry or through phony e-mails in which they disguise
themselves as legitimate firms attracting victims to do business with them.
Weakness of law enforcement
Identity theft receives less attention from law enforcement compared to other crimes.
Identity thieves fear no repercussions and are rarely apprehended or severely penalized,
since law enforcement resources are not yet sufficient to investigate the majority
of identity thefts.
The impact of identity theft has increased dramatically in recent years. In 2005,
the FTC received over 255,000 identity theft complaints. Chart A (below) shows the
breakout of the types of fraud reported in these complaints.
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), for every instance of identity
theft, the consumer incurs:
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Lost vacation or sick time to repair damages done
- Loss of productivity due to the distraction of the crime
- Emotional distress affecting job and interactions with family
- Potential higher mortgage or interest rates
- Immediate impact on purchasing power
- Extended diminished purchasing power
Awareness of the prevalence of identity theft is essential for high school students
and college students as they are those most targeted by thieves!
Source: FTC Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft Complaint Data for January - December
2005
What are the National trends?
Identity Theft Trends (2006 Identity Fraud Report)
- In 2005, adult victims of identity theft decreased to 1.2 million in the United
States.
- During the last two years, the average fraud amount increased to $6,383 from $5,249.
- Total cost of identity theft in the United States for 2005 was $56.6 billion.
- Resolving identity theft required up to 40 hours in 2005.
- Most identity theft was incurred by lost or stolen wallets, checkbooks or credit
cards.
- Half of identity theft victims were perpetrated by their friends, neighbors, in-home
employees, family members or relatives.
- Currently, more than two thirds of people are shredding documents and eliminating
trash as a source of information.
- Only 2.3% of victims were from 65+ age group and the 35-44 age group was victim
of the highest amount, $9,435.
Source: Van Dyke, J.Javelin Strategy and Research (2006)
www.bbbonline.org/IDTheft/protect.asp
Breakdown by State
- Identity theft occurs in all 50 states but is most prevalent in the southwest.
- Arizona ranks the highest with a reported 156.9 complaints per 100,000 population
followed by Nevada with 130.2. Nebraska ranks 37th reporting 52.3 complaints per
100,000. North Dakota rounds out the 50 states with 24.8.
Breakdown by Metropolitan Area
- Identity theft is more prevalent in cities with high population densities and warm
climates.
- "The Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona area ranks first with 178.3 complaints per
100,000 populations. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada is next with 158.5. Kansas City,
Missouri ranks 33rd reporting 82.3.
Social Security card: Your Social Security number
is mostly used as your identification number for your financial record. Security
numbers are used as a directory for personal accounts in all financial institutions.
Identity thieves can access your personal information such as bank accounts and
credit card accounts with your Social Security number.
Driver’s license: With you are cashing checks, boarding
an airplane, and certifying age, your driver's license is used for identification.
Your driver’s license also provides your date of birth which is important information
when stealing your identity.
Account numbers, PIN and passwords: With your bank
account numbers, Personal Identification number (PIN), or login and password for
any of your online accounts, identity thieves can access your personal information
Where is your identity?
Wallet or purse: Your wallet or purse contains personal
information such as credit cards, bank account PINs, health insurance ID card, voter
registration card, driver's license, and insurance card.
Mailbox: Bills from your credit card companies, bank
account monthly statements, and new or pre-approved credit card applications can
be found in your mailbox.
Vehicle glove compartment: It can contain your vehicle
registration, auto insurance card, and credit card receipts.
Trash: Pre-approved credit card applications, bill
payments, expired credit cards, credit card receipts and un-shredded papers that
present personal information can be found by digging through your trash.
You: Identity thieves can call you pretending to
be an employee of your bank, insurance company, or doctor's office, and ask for
your personal information directly.
Source: Information For Consumers - Protecting Your Identity In The Real World,
(2006) http://www.bbbonline.org/IDTheft/protect.asp
How can your identity be stolen?
Information gathering: Thieves gather personal information
of other people. Common information gathering techniques used by thieves:
- Skimming: When customers’ credit cards are processed, thieves may
skim customers’ credit card information by inserting an information storage device
to the credit card processing system.
- Stealing information: Thieves may steal personal information by
stealing from their employers, sneaking into victims’ homes or stealing wallets
or purses.
- Hacking: Thieves break into an organization’s computers to get
useful information.
- Bribing/conning: Thieves may bribe or con an employee who has access
to confidential records to give them the information they need.
- “Shoulder surfing”: When a customer makes a credit purchase over
the phone, a thief might be standing nearby and listening.
- Phishing: This is a high-tech fraud where thieves send spam or
pop-up messages to victims’ computers and deceive them into disclosing personal
information.
- Contacting victims: Thieves may pretend to be an employee of a
legitimate organization or a government official deceiving victims into releasing
their personal information.
Identity Theft Resources Center has identified more than twenty identity theft scams.
Click here to see: http://www.idtheftcenter.org/artman2/publish/s_specific/Specific_Scam_Warnings.shtml
Information conversion Thieves obtain fake documents
or convert information gathered into the fake documents. They then cover up their
actions.
Financial benefits Thieves test the fake documents
and begin to receive larger financial benefits or commit crimes and develop more
fraudulent schemes.
By using other people’s identity, thieves can:
- Pay telephone bills
- Buy expensive items
- Establish bank accounts
- Commit such crimes as cyber crimes, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
Source: Albrecht, W., Albrecht, C., & Albrect, C . (2006) Fraud Examination,
Canada: Thompson Southwestern, p.486-490
- Financial ID theft: Victim's name and Social Security number used
to obtain such services as telephone and credit card, bank loans, car and home leases,
and expensive merchandise.
- Criminal ID theft: Victim's information used to avoid criminal
court records or criminal penalty. Any inquiries result in providing victim information
and perpetrator escapes the crime.
- Identity cloning: Thief uses victim's information to impersonate
and live as victim. Usually the thief is trying to hide from hardship situations
and attempting to become a new person.
- Business or commercial identity theft: Thieves use credit cards
or checking accounts under the name of a business instead of an individual.
Don't think this could happen to you?!?! True Story: Senior UNL Marketing Major
Becomes a Victim of Identity Theft
She could not believe what she was hearing, as Sergeant Randy Clark from the Lincoln
Police Department told her that her identity had been taken. After all, isn’t this
the kind of thing you only see in movies?
It all started over a year earlier when she was at a party at her brother’s apartment.
The UNL student set her purse down on the couch feeling that it was safe. This was
her brother’s place, after all, and she knew almost everyone there. The student
realized that this was a mistake at the end of the night when she found her purse
had been stolen by someone that no one seemed to know. The thief proceeded to use
the victim’s phone to call her roommate on campus. After reporting the theft to
the police and repurchasing all her lost items, including getting the locks changed
on her dorm room, the student put the theft behind her.
Sergeant Clark let the student know that a woman who was addicted to drugs had gotten
a hold of her purse and used the social security card inside the student’s wallet
to steal her identity. The woman used the social security card to gain access to
the student’s High School transcript (which you don’t need a photo id to obtain).
With these documents, along with the student’s Ncard, the woman was able to obtain
a driver’s license in the student’s name.
The fraudster proceeded to open a checking account at US Bank and obtain a credit
card, both under the victim’s name. She wrote numerous bad checks and bought several
large items on her new credit card, including a new cell phone and phone plan under
Sprint. She was finally caught when she tried to cash a homemade paycheck at the
bank. As the police investigated her for this fake paycheck, they discovered that
she was not who she claimed to be and had stolen the UNL student’s identity. This
is when the victim received a call from the police; a year after her purse had been
stolen.
After breaking the news to her, Sergeant Clark then began telling the victim what
needed to be done to clear her name. The student was forced to spend countless hours
filling out paperwork and calling the proper authorities in an attempt to clear
her name and credit. For months after the arrest, the student was still receiving
bills for items she never purchased. As new bills would appear, the student would
call Sergeant Clark and fill out more paperwork. Although the three major credit
rating companies flagged her as a victim of identity theft, she is still worried
about her credit rating four years later!
It took two years for the fraudster to be convicted for the theft, and the victim
never heard what the final sentence was. When asked what she thought the sentence
should be, the victim stated she felt the thief should go to prison.
The biggest losses to the UNL student were time and stress. She spent hours clearing
her name and was under large amounts of stress as new bills continued to come for
things she never bought. The student acknowledged the following when asked what
advice she would give to other students so they would not suffer the same misfortune:
- “Don’t keep your social security card in your wallet; it is asking for trouble.”
- “Watch your personal items, even at places where you think you know everyone and
everything seems safe.”
- “Just be careful; bad things can happen when you least expect it.”
Identity theft is a potential problem on campus, for both employees and students,
due to the increasing number of people responding to phishing scams, credit card
fraud, etc. During the past year, about twenty reports have been made of various
types of fraud on campus that have the potential to lead to identity theft. Despite
this, the Federal Credit Union has not yet had any reports of identity theft on
campus.
FREE Identity Theft/Fraud Seminars!
The Federal Credit Union on campus hosts free identity theft/fraud seminars. If
you would like to find out more information, or attend one of these seminars, contact
the University of Nebraska Federal Credit Union by phone at (402) 472-2087 or 1-800-875-5933.
UNL Federal Credit Union website and email address:
https://www.nufcu.org/Default.asp
info@nufcu.org
Newspaper Articles
Check out these articles from the Lincoln Journal Star website!!
These articles cover a wide variety of topics – everything from phishing to travel
scams.
2003 Identity Theft Complaints from Nebraska Victims – 781
Types of Identity Theft Reported in Nebraska
|
Type of Identity Theft
|
Number of Victims
|
Percentage*
|
|
Credit Card Fraud
|
280
|
36%
|
|
Bank Fraud**
|
160
|
20%
|
|
Phone or Utilities
|
132
|
17%
|
|
Employment-Relate Fraud
|
108
|
14%
|
|
Government Documents or Benefits Fraud
|
55
|
7%
|
|
Loan Fraud
|
35
|
4%
|
|
Other
|
138
|
18%
|
|
Attempted Identity Theft
|
48
|
6%
|
*Percentages are based on the 781 victims reporting from Nebraska. Percentages add
to more than 100% because approximately 19% of victims from Nebraska reported experiencing
more than one type of identity theft.
** Bank Fraud includes fraud involving checking and savings accounts and electronic
funds transfer.
Top Nebraska Identity Theft Locations
|
Victim City
|
Number of Victims
|
|
Omaha
|
374
|
|
Lincoln
|
82
|
|
Bellevue
|
32
|
|
Grand Island
|
17
|
|
Fremont
|
14
|
|
Papillion
|
14
|
NE Rev. Stat. § 28-638
Criminal impersonation;
penalty; restitution
NE Rev. Stat. § 28-620
Unauthorized use of a financial
transaction device; penalties; prosecution of offense.
Nebraska Attorney General
The Nebraska Attorney General, Jon Bruning, is the main resource on identity theft
in Nebraska.
Nebraska Attorney General
2115 State Capitol
Lincoln, NE 68509
Toll-free 1-800-727-6432
(402) 471-2682
http://www.ago.state.ne.us/
This website provides information on identity theft and gives guidance on what you
should do if you are a victim of identity theft in Nebraska.
575 S. 10th St.
Lincoln, NE 68508
Chief of Police: Thomas K. Casady
http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/police/
Major problems in Lincoln regarding identity theft
- The biggest problem in Lincoln currently is credit card fraud, which is not technically
considered identity theft.
- The main identity theft problem in Lincoln involves illegal immigrants stealing
the identities of others for employment purposes.
- In doing this, the illegal immigrant obtains someone's name and social security
number and uses these on their own employment forms.
- The person whose identity has been stolen normally does not find out about the theft
until they receive a letter from the IRS, claiming they have not reported and paid
taxes on all of their income for the year.
Don't Hesitate! Follow these steps Immediately!
- Set the record straight. ALWAYS CONTACT THE PARTY THAT WAS INVOLVED
- If your credit card was stolen the other party is the card issuer
- If your driver’s license was stolen the other party is the DMV
- Inform your employer that someone else is or has been using your name
- Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – they are responsible for receiving
and processing complaints by people who think they may be victims of identity theft.
The FTC can give you the proper steps that are needed to resolve problems and repair
damages to your credit report. Call toll-free 877-IDTHEFT (438-4338).
- Contact one of the three major credit bureaus – they will put a fraud alert on your
credit report.
EQUIFAX – 1-800-525-6285
EXPERIAN (TRW) - 1-800-397-3742
TRANSUNION CORP – 1-800-680-7289
Once one of these credit bureaus confirms the fraud alert, the other two bureaus
will be automatically notified.
- Close any accounts that may have been corrupted. This will stop any future fraud
on this account.
- Contact your local police department and file a report . Keep good records of contacts.
- File an Identity Theft Report
- ID Theft
Worksheet The ID Theft Worksheet is a simple worksheet that can be very helpful
during the process of reporting ID theft.
- ID Theft Affidavit
The ID Theft Affidavit should be sent to companies where new accounts were opened
in your name by the thief. Please note that not all companies accept the Affidavit.
Also, it should not be sent to companies where you had an existing account.
- ID Theft
Complaint Form To file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC),
fill out this complaint Form. This form will help the FTC investigate the fraud
and may lead to law enforcement action.
- Nebraska DMV ID Theft
Complaint This complaint form should be completed if someone obtained a Nebraska
driver’s license in your name and/or a Nebraska title without your consent.
- Social Security
Number Complaint You should complete this online form if your Social Security
Number has been fraudulently misused.
Take these quizzes to determine your risk!
The Military ID Was Too Easy To Get: System Failures Aided the Thief
I have been an identity theft victim for 1 year and I've yet to find an agency or
organization that has brought any relief or words of comfort that can make this
nightmare seem like it will have an end.
I retired from the US Army in 1999 after 20 years. July of 2001, Jerry Wayne Phillips,
was able to get a military ID from FT. Bragg, NC with my name and SSN. With that
ID and my good credit history, he was able to buy cars, motorcycles, open credit
card accounts, checking accounts, and get credit at virtually every department store
that offers credit. I never came in contact with him, I didn't lose a credit card,
and I wasn't careless with my social security number. The accounts he opened had
no relationship to any of my accounts.
The military simply didn't do a good job protecting my personal information and
military records. Incidentally, the military attempted to garnish my retirement
pay as a result of an account he opened at an Army Exchange Service. To the best
of my knowledge, I've taken every step available to me to straighten this mess out.
I've worked with law enforcement agencies at all levels, all 3 credit bureaus, creditors,
banks, lawyers, collection agencies and the list goes on.
Phillips started in July 2001 and was in jail by December 11th, but it seems it
will take me years to clean up what took him just 6 months to create. I've been
working on this since the end of October 2001.
I've always paid my bills and continue to do so, but I wouldn't be able to borrow
a single dollar if my life depended on it because my credit is such a wreck. Two
weeks ago, I tried to open a checking account for my 15 year-old daughter who recently
started working. I found out there are places, besides the 3 credit bureaus that
have negative information on my SSN, which are preventing me from opening a bank
account.
TransUnion has been the most helpful, but the process is very slow and I've had
accounts deleted that re-appear. Equifax has been awful and hasn't done any thing
to help me. I can't even get a new report from them. Creditors issued credit because
of my high credit rating even though the thief couldn't spell my first name correctly
on the applications. He used over 20 different addresses in 6 different states,
none of which were in my home state and none of which were real addresses.
I have no idea what can be done, but I do know that I'm just about worn out. The
phone calls, the affidavits, the letters and emails, the hours and hours and hours.
Something is not right with all this. The system is really lousy. It's not set up
to prevent these things from happening and it's certainly not set up to correct
them when it does. I really feel like I'm paying the price for the mistake of others,
and there's nothing that can be done.
The thief will do jail time and that's fine. The U.S. Secret Service says it won't
go to trial because the damage is only about $200,000, but he will do time as he
should. But to be perfectly honest...I'm wondering who's getting the stiffer punishment,
him or me.
Update December 2002:
My imposter, Jerry Wayne Phillips, was sentenced to 41 months on October 22, 2002.
He was prosecuted by the US Attorney in Texas, Eastern District. I'm still struggling
with the cleanup and in all I've been dealing with over 65 accounts created by Phillips.
I've also been sued by one account and have a judgment against me for $4,200. The
situation is insane and even a little hopeless. The biggest problem has been the
banking accounts. Phillips opened at least 5 different checking accounts and wrote
checks from all of them. I have no idea how many checks total. I can only deal with
them as they come after me one by one. While dealing with the 3 major credit bureaus
can be difficult and time consuming; dealing with the many check verification and
reporting agencies is even more frustrating and difficult and probably will go on
for years. On the brighter side, I have found an attorney that is experienced and
understands how devastating ID theft is. He's been extremely helpful if for no other
reason than he seems to understand the personal side of this crime and gets as angry
as I do about what victims face.
After going through this ordeal for over a year, I have a need to become an advocate
for all victims, especially the future ones. I have a need to fight back and effect
any changes I can to a system that is completely inadequate and insensitive. I think
victims of ID Theft hit a point where they realize they can't really help themselves.
Nothing that can happen now will change what I've already been put through. All
I really have to look forward to is making my situation count for something.
Source: http://www.privacyrights.org/cases/victim22.htm
Joe's Story: "The burden is entirely on the victim to prove fraud over and over
again"
My name is Joe Zicaro and I have been a victim of identity theft.
I first became aware that someone was using my identity very early in the chain
of events on July 16, 1999, thanks to a perceptive account representative named
at Sears Credit Central in Louisville KY. The rep contacted me for verification
of an unusual request after someone impersonating me on the telephone attempted
to take control of my Sears charge account. The caller claimed a fire had destroyed
my house and all my records, and requested a replacement charge card be sent to
a Los Angeles address. I had placed password protection on all accounts I held back
in 1993 to prevent my ex-wife from tampering with them. When Mr. Hill asked the
caller for the password on the account, the caller hung up. Suspecting something
was wrong, Mr. Hill contacted me at my home for verification and explained what
took place. This was one of the very first few incidents of fraudulent activity.
From my research, I have determined that all fraudulent activity using my identity
started in mid July, so I felt fortunate that I caught it very early. This eventually
proved to be of little help.
I immediately contacted the three credit reporting bureaus: Equifax; Trans-Union,
and Experian/TRW, and added a fraud victim security alert to my credit files that
same day. I was place on hold in their automated phone systems for long periods
while waiting for a customer service representative to answer. I was on hold with
one credit bureau for more that 40 minutes before my call was answered. When I finally
got through to a human, I explained the situation and asked about inquiries into
my credit files. After I verified my identifying information and information regarding
true accounts that I held, I learned from a representative at Equifax that inquiries
had been made by Sprint PCS and Pacific Bell and that a sprint PCS cellular phone
account had been opened in my name. These were the first two fraudulent inquiries
and the first fraudulent account reported in their records. Trans Union refused
to offer any information, stating that they would be sending me a copy of my credit
report and insisting that I would just have to wait. Both Trans-Union and Equifax
allowed me to add my correct phone numbers to the security alert so that I could
be contacted by creditors for verification of any credit applications they might
receive. I could not get through to any person at Experian so was left with their
totally inadequate automated system, which failed to add the security warning to
my files at that time. I finally had the warning added at Experian after sending
them a written request by fax, but the warning was not added until more than a month
later. By this time several accounts were opened in my name. The security warnings
in my credit files at Equifax and Trans-Union did help somewhat, as I was contacted
by several creditors who had received fraudulent applications, and I was able to
prevent any accounts from being opened by those institutions. Unfortunately, not
all creditors paid heed to the security alert.
I tried to file a police report with Sacramento County Sheriff's Dept. but the duty
officer refused to take my report until I could produce evidence from a creditor
that a fraudulent account was opened in my name. I learned that police agencies
are reluctant to take reports of identity theft without verification from a creditor
that a fraud account had been opened, and that credit grantors won't act on any
allegations of fraud without a police report. The two policies mutually prohibit
any action from being taken to investigate these crimes.
I finally convinced a fraud investigator at Sprint PCS to accept an affidavit of
fraud with other identifying information to start a fraud investigation. They confirmed
fraud, closed the account and sent me a statement, which I took to the Sheriffs
and finally filed a police report, 2 weeks later. After filing the report, Sacramento
police insisted this case was not in their jurisdiction because the crimes were
being committed in los Angeles. The case was forwarded to Los Angeles authorities,
who then claimed it was not in their jurisdiction because the victim lived in Sacramento
Co., so I was stuck. I contacted the FBI and got a polite letter in reply saying
that my problem was just not worth their time.
Quoting from the letter, it stated "...our investigative guidelines... do not allow
us to investigate allegations of criminal activity where the loss is less than $50K."
Finally, my case got the attention of a Sergeant at LAPD fraud and forgery department,
but he insisted he couldn't start an investigation without a criminal complaint
from a creditor who had been defrauded. All creditors who had opened fraudulent
accounts in my name refused to make a criminal complaint, even after being contacted
by Sergeant Elliot. My case has been frustrated by lack of response, inadequate
response, and even refusal to respond as necessary to support any criminal investigation.
These thieves apparently know this and go merrily spending thousands and thousands
of dollars in the names of their victims with no fear of being apprehended.
I learned back in August, '99 that my impersonator had purchased three cell phones
by check. I knew then that this meant the thief had also opened a checking account
in my name, but the company that sold the phones refused to provide me with any
information on that check. I could do nothing but wait until something showed up
in my credit files to identify the bank account the check was drawn on. Only just
recently, 8 months later, I discovered the bank where that account was opened and
learned that the imposter had written 200 checks on that account. Those checks are
now showing up in my credit files as collection accounts. After becoming quite a
pest to the investigators at the bank, they provided me with a partial list of the
checks with the check serial numbers and amounts. Adding up the amounts of the bad
checks with the charges on other fraud accounts in my name, the total amount is
more than $44,000.
I have been successful at cleaning most of the fraudulent accounts from my credit
files, but some still remain, as well as the inquiries into my credit history. In
spite of having already proved fraud at all three major credit reporting agencies,
I am still having difficulties with them updating my personal information, name,
address, phone number etc. with the fraud information given by the thief each time
a credit inquiry or collection account is reported.
In spite of identifying the problem during the first few days of criminal activity,
numerous fraudulent accounts have been opened in my name. I have spent hundreds
of hours dealing with this problem and almost a year later, I am still spending
many hours each week trying to resolve the problems with the credit bureaus, banks,
and collection agencies.
The burden is entirely on the victim to prove fraud over and over again and the
only real actions they can take are limited to damage control after the fact. I've
been keeping meticulous records and compiling a folder with letters, affidavits,
credit reports and other correspondence required to resolve these problems. The
folder is now three inches thick and growing larger each week.
This ordeal has been my worst nightmares come true and, since the problem was identified
so early, most of it could have been prevented with the proper means and a little
cooperation from the credit bureaus, credit grantors and law enforcement.
Source: http://www.privacyrights.org/cases/victim7.htm
Prevention is Normally the key - but not in this case.
You cannot prevent identity theft, but you CAN REDUCE YOUR vulnerability. The harder
you make it for a fraudster to access your information, the less likely the fraudster
is to try and defraud you.
Review your credit report annually…for FREE.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the major consumer reporting companies
to provide you with a free copy of your credit reports annually. To order your free
annual report:
Under federal law, you are entitled to a free credit report if you are:
- Denied an application for credit
- Denied insurance
- Denied employment
- Unemployed and plan to look for a job
- On welfare or
- your report is inaccurate because of a fraud.
You must submit a request for a free credit report within 60 days of receiving notice
of any of the above actions.
To buy a copy of your credit report, contact:
Equifax: 1-800-685-1111
TransUnion: 1-800-916-8800
Experian: 1-888-397-3742
Protect your PINs and passwords
- Select passwords for your credit cards, debit cards, and phone accounts that can't
be easily detected.
- Avoid using passwords like your mother's maiden name, birth date, phone number or
the last four digits of your social security number.
- Try using a mixture of random numbers and letters.
Protect your personal information
- Store personal information such as bank statements, credit card statements, social
security card, account numbers and tax returns in a secure area (locked file) your
home.
- Be informed about who has your personal information, and what they are doing to
keep it secure.
- Places that normally hold your personal information are your workplace, doctor's
office, utility companies or banks. Ask questions about their security procedures
like:
- Who has access to your personal information?
- What are the company's disposal procedures?
- Is it handled securely?
- Will the information be shared by any third parties?
- Do not give your personal information to anyone with whom you are uncomfortable.
- Do not give out your credit card numbers, account numbers, social security numbers
over the telephone unless you have initiated the contact or you know the person
with whom you are dealing.
- Carry only the minimum amount of identifying information when you go out.
- Keep a list of the 24-hour emergency telephone numbers of all credit cards in your
cell phone's address book.
- Protect your purse and wallet.
- Carry your wallet in your front pocket.
- Never leave it in your vehicle or any other places it can be stolen.
- At work, keep your purse in a safe place.
Proper use of Social Security number
- Do not carry your social security number card around with you.
- If a company asks for your social security number, see if there are any other types
of identifiers that could be used instead.
- If a company uses your social security number as an account number, ask if they
can change it to another number.
Safeguard your Mail and Trash
Be careful when disposing of mail that may contain important personal identification
information.
- Properly dispose of credit card applications, credit card receipts, bank statements,
and other financial information.
- Use a cross-cutting shedder to properly destroy your documents.
- Be careful when responding to promotions over the mail, phone, or internet.
- Pick up new ordered checks directly from your bank instead of through the mail.
- When away from your home, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to place
a hold on your personal mail.
- Deposit all outgoing mail at post office collection boxes or at a local post office.
It is also important to know that there are ways to opt-out of receiving credit
card applications and telephone solicitations.
- To opt out of pre-approved offers for credit cards, call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT and ask
to be taken off the list.
- To remove your name from many of the national direct mail lists, send your name
and address to the address below with a request to be taken off the mailing lists.
DMA Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
- To remove your number from telephone solicitations from many of the national marketers,
send your name, address, and telephone number to the address below and request to
be taken off the telephone list.
DMA Telephone Preference Service
P.O. Box 9014
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9014
Attention: active members of the military, protect
your identity.
- Place an active duty alert on all credit reports to minimize the risk while away
on duty.
- Active duty alerts last only one year; apply for another active duty alert if needed.
- This alert removes you from credit reporting companies' marketing list for pre-screened
credit card offers for two years.
Install and update virus protection software.
It is important to have up-to-date virus protection software installed on computers.
- Virus software protects against intrusions and infections that can affect your computer
files and passwords.
- Ideal virus protection programs automatically update weekly. Windows XP can be set
up to automatically check for patches and download them to your computer.
Be cautious of email from unknown sources and unsecured sites.
- Do not open emails from unknown sources.
- Do not click on hyperlinks or use downloads from unknown sources.
- Hyperlinks could expose your computer to viruses or a program known as Spyware.
- Spyware allows thieves to access passwords & other important information while
you are using your computer.
- Only input personal information on websites with secure connections.
- Use sites that have "https://" in front of the sites location rather than http://
Enable a firewall program
Protect yourself by using a firewall program; they provide the following:
- Protect computers from uninvited users.
- Prevent hackers from accessing your computer and stealing personal information.
- Very important for those who use high-speed internet connections which have a 24
hour connection.
Use a secure browser
Protect all your on-line transactions. Programs exist that can scramble and encrypt
information you send over the internet.
- Look for the "lock" icon on the browser's status bar to ensure security.
- Free software programs available to guard against on-line identity theft.
- SpoofStick is a browser extension for Internet
Explorer and FireFox Web browsers that help users avoid spoofed Web sites. If you
do follow a link in a suspicious email, SpoofStick can tell you if the Web site
is really the Web site you are visiting.
- Another free download is the
EarthLink toolbar, which has a ScamBlocker. EarthLink keeps a database of known
phishers, and if you visit a page known to be operated by a phisher, it will alert
you right in your browser.
Properly Dispose of Old Computers
Take proper steps when disposing of old computers.
- Computers store all information on the hard drive. Deleting it from the computer
is NOT enough.
- Reformatting the hard drive may not be enough to completely remove personal information.
- Use a "wipe" utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive.
Read Website Privacy Policies
All websites should contain a privacy policy.
- Privacy policies should answer questions pertaining to the accuracy, access, security,
and control of personal information that is collected on the site.
- If there is no privacy policy or it's not understandable, do business elsewhere.
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