Preventing Identity TheftPreventing identity theft is something we must keep in mind when dealing with our personal documents and records. There are ways to try to protect against identity theft . Here are some suggestions: ·Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine and make copies of both sides of each identification card, license, credit and debit cards, etc. This will be a record of what was in your wallet and provide all the account numbers, phone numbers for cancellations, etc. Keep this photocopy in a very safe place. It is also advisable to keep a copy of your passport with this information. ·Do NOT put credit account numbers on the checks you write for payments on those accounts. Just put the last four numbers of your account number—the credit card company knows the rest. This prevents that account number access to the many different people handling that check through the processing channels and is useful in preventing identity theft. · Do not open email attachments from senders you don't know. Criminals commonly use this method to install malicious software on your computer. This software could obtain your personal and financial information off your computer. · Be extremely wary of emails that link to forms or websites requesting that you provide personal information (such as your Social Security number) or financial data (such as your account number, username/password, answer to security question, PIN number, etc.). The emails may seem to come from a trusted source, and some may even appear to come from your bank or a company you do business with. These e-mails are fraudulent and are designed to get your personal information. A lot of these fraudulent emails will try to instill a sense of urgency, such as threatening to close your account if you don’t provide sensitive information right away. Most reputable banks will never send you an email with a link to a form or website that asks you to provide personal or financial information as a way of preventing identity theft. · Some identity theft criminals try to obtain your personal and financial information through the phone rather than online. Be wary of calls where the caller requests personal and financial information, even if it seems that the call is from a trusted source. Remember, these days caller ID displays can be altered to show a name that appears to be legitimate. · You should install anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your computer and make sure to keep these programs up to date and active. This helps in preventing identity theft. · Enroll in Electronic Statements at your bank to prevent criminals from accessing your account information through snail mail theft. · Use Online Banking to check your accounts frequently so that you can see unauthorized transactions early and start the dispute process right away. · Make sure that the email address you’ve provided your bank and companies you do business with is up to date, so that you can receive important notifications. ·When ordering checks, have them print only your initials (instead of your first name) and last name on them. Should your checks be stolen, the thief will not know how you sign your checks. NEVER have your social security number printed on your checks. Put your work phone number instead of your home or cell phone number on checks and if you have a P. O. Box, use that address instead of your home address. If you don’t have a P. O. Box, use your work address. ·Drop bill payments at a post office or U.S. Postal Service mailbox rather than putting the flag up on your own mailbox (the “steal me” signal to thieves) or leaving letters in an open mail bin at your workplace. This goes a long way in preventing identity theft. ·Shred any sensitive documents with a crosscut (or “confetti”) shredder. This prevents garbage divers from reading your data or using credit card “convenience checks” and new offers, etc. ·Use prepaid debit cards and change your passwords and PIN numbers regularly for preventing identity theft. TransUnion has established an e-mail address for parents and guardians to use to protect the identities of dependents younger than age 18: childidtheft@transunion.com. TransUnion will supply a yes or no answer to whether a credit file exists in a certain name or social security number. If the answer is yes, it is recommended to contact the Identity Theft Resource Center at: P.O. Box 26833, San Diego, CA 92196. Phone: 1-858-693-7935. Consumers can also freeze their credit files at all three major credit bureaus to prevent identity thieves from opening accounts in their names. This really helps in preventing identity theft. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion give consumers that power regardless of whether their state has passed laws requiring it. A security freeze prevents a potential creditor or loan officer from checking a credit file. Consumers who have frozen accounts still can apply for credit by temporarily lifting the freeze to allow the credit application to be processed. The option is significant in preventing identity theft because it stops identity thieves by preventing them from using stolen information to open fraudulent accounts. Stolen personal information, such as a Social Security number, is used to open fraudulent accounts in one-third of the estimated 10 million cases of identity theft each year, according to experts. There is a $10.00 fee to begin the freeze and another $10.00 fee to lift it. Victims of identity theft will have access to the service at no charge. Consumers wanting to initiate a freeze have to do so in writing with all three credit bureaus.You have the right to obtain documents relating to fraudulent transactions made or accounts opened using your personal information. A creditor or other business must give you copies of applications and other business records relating to transactions and accounts that resulted from the theft of your identity, if you ask for them in writing. A business may ask you for proof of your identity, a police report, and an affidavit before giving you the documents. It may also specify an address for you to send your request. Under certain circumstances, a business can refuse to provide you with these documents. More information can be found at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
ID Theft Statistics
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