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MINIMIZING IDENTITY THEFT
In the course of a busy day, you may write a check at the grocery
store, charge tickets for a concert, rent a car, mail your tax returns,
call home on your cell phone, order new checks or apply for a credit
card. Everyday transactions to which you may never give a second
thought are bread and butter to an identity thief. Each of these
transactions requires the sharing of personal information: your bank and
credit card account numbers; your income; your Social Security number;
your name, address and phone numbers.
Maintaining Your Good Name
You can find out what happens to the personal information you provide
to companies, marketers and government agencies. Many organizations now
offer people choices about how their personal information will be used,
and may let you "opt out" of having your information shared with others
or used for promotional purposes.
To find out more, visit the
Federal Trade Commission web site.
Protecting Your Identity
While you can't prevent identity theft, you can minimize your risk.
- Do not carry your Social Security number or provide it
to anyone unless absolutely necessary. Minimize the number of
credit cards and other personal identification cards you carry,
as well as the information on pre-printed checks.
- Guard postal mail from theft. Deposit outgoing mail in
post office boxes instead of sending it from unsecured sites.
Remove mail from your mailbox promptly. Never throw mail with
personal information into trash bins at post offices. Do not leave
sensitive mail in vehicles.
- Provide a new address to friends and businesses
immediately. Do not rely on mail forwarding, which may put your
mail at greater risk of theft. If your mail has been stolen, call
local police and the postal inspection service office near you.
Contact your local post office for the number.
- Shred pre-approved credit card applications and any
mail with Social Security, bank and/or credit card numbers before
throwing it in the trash. If you are not interested in pre-approved
credit card offers, opt out of receiving them by calling
1-888-5-OPT-OUT.
- If you get an email that asks for personal or financial
information, do not reply or click on any links in the message.
- Before divulging personal information to any company,
determine how it will be used and safeguarded, and whether it will
be transferred to third parties.
- Keep track of credit and debit card receipts, and
review statements from banks and credit card companies each month
for any unauthorized activity.
- Pay attention to billing cycles and inquire about
credit bills that do not arrive on time. A missing credit card bill
could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed
your billing address to cover his/her tracks.
- The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of
the nationwide consumer reporting companies -- Equifax, Experian,
and TransUnion -- to provide you with a free copy of your credit
report, at your request, once every 12 months. Go to
www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228
to request your report by telephone. Review your reports carefully
to ensure the records are accurate and there are no unauthorized
transactions.
If You Become a Victim of Identity Theft
If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, you should take
action immediately.
- Contact the police. File a police report with your
local police or wherever the identity theft took place. Get a copy
of the report to show to creditors and financial institutions.
- Contact the fraud departments of the three major credit
bureaus:
- Equifax: 1-800-525-6285;
www.equifax.com
- Experian: 1-888-397-3742;
www.experian.com/fraud
- TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289;
www.transunion.com
You may place a fraud alert in your file by calling just one of the
three companies; which must then notify the other two. An initial fraud
alert stays in your file for at least 90 days. An extended alert stays
in your file for seven years.
- Contact creditors to close any accounts opened
fraudulently or tampered with.
- Obtain a free copy of your credit report and review
it. Victims of identity theft are entitled to free copies of their
report, in addition to the annual free report that is available.
- File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, by
calling 1-877-ID-THEFT or going to the
FTC's Identity Theft site.
- Keep detailed, dated records of all conversations.
Follow up each conversation with a letter sent by certified mail
with return receipt requested.
Useful Resources:
Wisconsin Attorney General's ID Theft Brochure
Federal Trade Commission
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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