Personal Identity Theft

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WHAT ARE THE SIGNS THAT THIS IS A SCAM?

Someone else is using your personally identifying information, such as your name, Social Security Number, bank account information or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

Mail Fraud: A number of schemes are often perpetrated by mail. The sender misrepresents his/her identity and delivers forged documents or bogus requests for personal information. Examples include bogus forms which claim to be from taxation authorities or prize clearinghouses; land sales; phony advertising; insurance ripoffs; and fraudulent charitable organizations. Your personal mail delivered to a mailbox is at risk, too. Identity thieves may use your mail to steal your identity or gain more personal information.

Tax Scams: Scammers make phone calls, send letters or emails claiming to be a legitimate company such as the IRS, or another government entity or financial institution. You are tricked into sharing their account passwords, social security numbers, bank account numbers, and credit card numbers. You may be told that a refund is waiting for you, but that you first need to share your personal and financial information. This is called phishing and is illegal. The IRS does not require taxpayers to complete special forms once the proper tax forms have been submitted.

Shoulder Surfing: Someone watches you from a nearby location as you punch in your telephone calling card number or credit card number. The criminal also may listen in on conversations as credit card information is relayed over the telephone.

Online scams: There are several online ploys to gain your personal information. Thieves may send fraudulent emails from banks or government agencies that request personal information such as bank account numbers or your Social Security number, or that direct you to scam Web sites where you are asked to enter this information.

Crimes may take several forms, such as obtaining government documents, opening a credit card, renting an apartment, or conducting other financial transactions in your name.


HOW CAN CONSUMERS PROTECT THEMSELVES?

To reduce the risk of identity theft, mail should be held at the post office when you are traveling and you should place locks on mailboxes for protection.

Protect your personal and financial information. Shred mail or any other documents that contain sensitive information, and be very cautious about sharing that information with anyone else. Be smart about your activities online - you should very rarely enter any personal information on a Web site unless you're absolutely sure the site is legitimate. Do not use public computers or public wi-fi connections to conduct financial business online.

Keep your computer system and browser software up to date and set to the highest security level you can tolerate. Use virus scan programs. Be aware of privacy policies for internet sites that you visit and be sure that sites are secure when conducting business online. Don't create obvious passwords and try not to write them down or store them in an insecure location near your computer.

Limit the amount of information that you carry around in your wallet or purse such as your social security card and credit cards or account numbers that you may not use on a regular basis.

Monitor your accounts and bank statements regularly and check your credit report on a regular basis to stay on top of irregular charges or financial transactions that you didn't authorize. You can request one free copy of your credit report from each of the 3 credit reporting agencies per year at www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

Never respond to calls, mail or emails requesting to "verify" your personal information. Your bank, credit card company, online payment system, the IRS or similar organizations will never call, mail or email you requesting your confidential information. They already have it on file.

If your ID or credit cards are lost or stolen, immediately notify your credit providers and ask each of the credit bureaus to place a "fraud alert" on your file.


HOW TO REPORT IF YOU'VE BEEN A VICTIM

Federal Trade Commission (FTC): If you think you've been the victim of identity theft, file an ID Theft Complaint online (www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov).

Local Police Department: You should immediately contact your local police department to file an Identity Theft Report, as well as provide a copy of your ID Theft Complaint. This detailed Identity Theft Report entitles you to certain legal rights with credit card companies and credit reporting agencies, and may help you recoup some of your losses. Click here to obtain the contact information for your local police department.

Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): You may also contact the IC3 at www.ic3.gov. The IC3 is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center. Complaints submitted to the IC3 cover an array of cyber crime and fraud schemes to include identity theft.

Place a fraud alert on your credit reports and review your credit reports carefully. The alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures before they open new accounts in your name or make changes to your existing accounts. The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have toll-free numbers for placing an initial 90-day fraud alert; a call to one company is sufficient:

Equifax 1-800-525-6285
Experian 1-888-Experian (397-3742)
TransUnion 1-800-680-7289

Placing a fraud alert entitles you to free copies of your credit reports. Look for inquiries from companies you haven't contacted, accounts you did not open, and debts on your accounts that you can't explain.

Close accounts that have been tampered with or established fraudulently.

Call the security or fraud departments of each company where an account was opened or changed without your approval. Follow-up in writing, with copies of supporting documents, including your identity theft report.

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For more information on identity theft, visit these Web sites:

Federal Trade Commission - Identity theft

U.S. Department of Justice - Identity theft and Identity Fraud

Identity Theft Resource Center - www.idtheftcenter.org