When it comes to identity theft, you can't entirely control
whether you will become a victim. But there are certain steps you
can take to minimize your risk.
Order a copy of your credit report. An amendment to the federal Fair Credit
Reporting Act requires each of the major nationwide consumer reporting
companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit reports, at your
request, once every 12 months.
To order your free annual report from one or all the national consumer
reporting companies, visit www.annualcreditreport.com,
call toll-free 877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail
it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta,
GA 30348-5281. You can print the form from ftc.gov/credit. Do not contact
the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually; they provide
free annual credit reports only through www.annualcreditreport.com, 877-322-8228,
and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
Under federal law, you’re also entitled to a free report if a company takes
adverse action against you, such as denying your application for credit, insurance
or employment, and you request your report within 60 days of receiving notice of
the action. The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the
consumer reporting company that supplied the information about you. You’re also
entitled to one free report a year if you’re unemployed and plan to look for a
job within 60 days; you’re on welfare; or your report is inaccurate because of
fraud. Otherwise, a consumer reporting company may charge you up to $9.50 for
any other copies of your report.
To buy a copy of your report, contact:
Equifax: 800-685-1111;
www.equifax.com
Experian: 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742);
www.experian.com
TransUnion: 800-916-8800;
www.transunion.com
If you ask, only the last four digits of your Social Security number will appear on your credit reports.
Place passwords on your credit card, bank, and phone accounts. 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. When opening
new accounts, you may find that many businesses still have a line on their applications for
your mother's maiden name. Ask if you can use a password instead.
Secure personal information in your home,
especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your home.
Ask about information security procedures in your workplace or at businesses, doctor's offices or other institutions that collect your personally identifying information.
Find out who has access to your personal information and verify that it is handled
securely. Ask about the disposal procedures for those records as well. Find out if
your information will be shared with anyone else. If so, ask how your information
can be kept confidential.
Don't give out personal information
on the phone, through the mail, or on the Internet unless you've initiated the
contact or are sure you know who you're dealing with. Identity thieves are
clever, and have posed as representatives of banks, Internet service providers
(ISPs), and even government agencies to get people to reveal their Social
Security number, mother's maiden name, account numbers, and other identifying
information. Before you share any personal information, confirm that you are
dealing with a legitimate organization. Check an organization's website by
typing its URL in the address line, rather than cutting and pasting it. Many
companies post scam alerts when their name is used improperly. Or call customer
service using the number listed on your account statement or in the telephone book.
Deposit your outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office,
rather than in an unsecured mailbox. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox. If
you're planning to be away from home and can't pick up your mail, call the U.S.
Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to request a vacation hold. The Postal Service will
hold your mail at your local post office until you can pick it up or are home to receive it.
Shred documents with personal information.
To thwart an identity thief who may pick through your trash or recycling bins to
capture your personal information, shred your charge receipts, copies of credit
applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements,
expired charge cards that you're discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail.
To opt out of receiving offers of credit in the mail, call: 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).
The three nationwide consumer reporting companies use the same toll-free number to let
consumers choose not to receive credit offers based on their lists. Note: You will be
asked to provide your Social Security number which the consumer reporting companies
need to match you with your file.
Don't carry your Social Security number card;
leave it in a secure place.
Give your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary, and ask to
use other types of identifiers. If your state uses your Social Security number
as your driver's license number, ask to substitute another number. Do the same
if your health insurance company uses your Social Security number as your
policy number.
Carry only the identification information and the credit and debit cards that you'll actually need when you go out.,
Be cautious when responding to promotions.
Identity thieves may create phony promotional
offers to get you to give them your personal information.
Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work;
do the same with copies of administrative forms that have your sensitive personal information.
When ordering new checks, pick them up from the
bank instead of having them mailed to your home mailbox.
