Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United
States. Identity theft is when someone obtains a person's identifying
information such as name, address, and date of birth, social security
number or mother's maiden name. Using this information illegally, an
imposter can open new credit card accounts, drain your bank accounts,
purchase automobiles, apply for loans, open utility services and so on.
No matter how cautious you are there is no guarantee that a criminal
will not obtain your information. The following steps will tell you what
the warning signs are, how to protect yourself, what to do if you become a
victim and the resources you will need.
Often, there are no warning signs that identity theft has occurred.
However, some reasons for concern are:
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Run a credit report
on yourself to see if there are any unknown credit inquiries or
unauthorized accounts
-
Reconcile your check
and credit card statements in a timely fashion and challenge any
purchases that you did not make
-
Limit the number of
credit cards you have to reduce exposure, and cancel any inactive
accounts
-
Destroy all unused
pre-approved credit card and loan applications. The mailbox thief only
has to fill them out and redirect the return address to start using your
credit
-
Never give any
important information out over the telephone or over the Internet to
anyone you don't know and do not discuss sensitive information on a
cellular or cordless phone. Examples of this important or sensitive
information are your driver's license, credit card, bank account, date
of birth, or social security numbers.
-
Minimize exposure of
your driver's license number, date of birth, social security number, and
credit card numbers. If the numbers are requested for check cashing
purposes, ask if the business has alternative options such as such as
using a check-cashing card
-
Safeguard your
credit, debit, and ATM card receipts and shred them before disposing of
them Shred your bank statements and any tax documents when you dispose
of them
-
Before disposal,
shred paycheck stubs and W-2 forms that contain your social security
number and often your name and address. This is a common way for
dumpster divers to obtain important identification
-
Scrutinize your
utility and subscription bills to make sure the charges are yours
-
Destroy all checks
immediately when you close a checking account. Destroy or keep in a
secure place, any courtesy checks that your bank or credit card company
may mail to you
-
Memorize your
passwords and personal identification (PIN) numbers. Keep your PIN
numbers in a location that only you know
-
Do not give out your
PIN or write them on your credit cards or ATM cards
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Keep a list of, or
photocopy all credit and identification cards you carry with you,
including front and back, so that you can quickly call the issuers to
inform them about missing or stolen cards
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Do not give away too
much personal information on your family web site. Full names, date of
births, and address is too much information to post. By obtaining your
"place-of-birth," the identity thief can possibly obtain a duplicate of
your birth certificate
-
Protect your
mother's maiden name, especially when using family tree tracers and
genealogy service web sites. Maiden names are often used as passwords to
access accounts over the telephone
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Never leave your
purse or wallet unattended, at work, at restaurants, at health and
fitness clubs, in your shopping cart, at church, or at social
gatherings.
-
Never leave your
purse or wallet in open view in your car, even when locked
Contact the social security office if someone is using your social
security number to establish credit or new accounts. If SSN fraud is
suspected, call the Office of the Inspector General Hotline: (800)
269-0271 or