Slide 1: Tips For Avoiding ID Theft And What To Do If You Are A Victim
Slide 2: Identity theft – someone stealing your personal information to use for illegal purposes – is a crime that can damage your credit, your reputation, and your peace of mind You can reduce the possibility of becoming a victim by keeping your personal information secure Guard your financial information •Only provide credit card, bank account # when you are actually paying for something with it Keep your social security number confidential •Don’t provide it to anyone unless you’re sure who they are and why it’s needed •Ask your health insurer, motor vehicle department, others who use it as ID to give you a substitute number
Slide 3: Beware of imposters •Be especially suspicious if you get call or email from someone claiming to be from company you do business with, asking for information they should already have •Contact company directly to confirm Keep your mail safe •Collect it promptly from mailbox •Ask post office to hold it while you’re away •Send bill payments from post office or public mailbox Get off credit marketing list – thieves can steal these mailings and apply for credit in your name •Call (888) 567-8688 •Your social security number will be required •Removes you from credit marketing lists compiled by credit bureaus, does not hurt ability to get credit
Slide 4: Lock it up •Keep personal information locked up at home, work, school •Don’t leave PIN numbers or passwords in wallet or on desk – memorize them Stay safe online •Don’t send credit card #, other sensitive information by email •When providing financial, other sensitive information on Web sites, address should change from “http” to “shttp” or “https” •Browser may also show that information is being “encrypted,” scrambled to transmit it safely
Slide 5: If you are on active duty in the military, be on guard for ID theft Put an active duty alert in your credit files so creditors will take extra steps to ensure that someone is not pretending to be you Only need to contact 1 credit bureau, alert will go to other 2 bureaus Everyone should check their credit reports regularly – at least once a year
Slide 6: If you were denied credit on basis of report, you can ask credit bureau that report came from for a free copy You can get free copies of report from all 3 major bureaus if: •You are victim of ID theft •You are on public assistance •You are unemployed but expect to apply for work within 60 days To place active duty military alert or get credit reports in above situations, contact: Equifax, 800-525-6285, www.equifax.com Experian, 888-397-3742, www.experian.com TransUnion, 800-680-7289, www.transunion.com
Slide 7: New right to get free annual credit reports •New law enables everyone to get one free copy of credit report from 3 major bureaus once every 12 months •Free annual report program is being phased in geographically from West to East •Started on West coast December 1, 2004 •People on East coast will be able to request free annual reports on or after September 1, 2005 •Go to Federal Trade Commission Web site, www.ftc.gov/credit or call 877-382-4357 for more details and to see when you can begin requesting free annual reports
Slide 8: Do not contact the credit bureaus directly to get these free annual reports They are only available by calling 877-322-8228 or going to www.annualcreditreport.com You do not need to ask for reports from all 3 bureaus at same time – you can stagger your requests Your state law may give you right to free reports, in addition to rights under federal law Always review your credit reports carefully  If you find accounts that don’t belong to you or incorrect information on credit reports, follow instructions to dispute
Slide 9: Be cautious about buying credit monitoring services Read description of services carefully Some credit monitoring services cost hundreds of $ per year You can buy copies of your credit reports any time from the credit bureaus for about $9 Why pay for credit monitoring services when you can get reports free or cheap? Not needed unless you’re a victim of serious, ongoing ID theft Go to credit bureau Web sites or call to purchase Phone numbers to purchase reports: Equifax, 800-685-1111 Experian, 800-311-4769 TransUnion, 800-888-4218
Slide 10: If you are a victim of ID theft •Contact the Federal Trade Commission’s ID Theft Clearinghouse, 877-438-4338, www.consumer.gov/idtheft •Get advice and free booklet, “ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen To Your Good Name” •Report problem so law enforcement agencies can use information to track and investigate Report the crime to law enforcement agencies •Get official “identity theft report” to help assert your rights •Report to police where crime occurred, local police, state or federal agency, including U.S. Postal Inspection Service •Do not use complaint to FTC as “identity theft report” •Official “identity theft report” must require sworn statement and have penalties for lying to discourage false reports
Slide 11: Other steps to take depend on what kind of information was stolen and how it was used When a financial account is involved, contact bank immediately, ask what you need to do to protect your money If someone fraudulently uses your credit card, you are not responsible for more than $50, most card issuers will remove charges completely if you report problem promptly Your losses could be greater if someone uses your debit card, but your card issuer may have policy that offers you more protection than law provides  Contest checks that have been used with your forged signature or unauthorized withdrawals with your bank
Slide 12: Respond quickly if debt collectors contact you about accounts ID thieves opened or unauthorized charges to your accounts Respond in writing, keep a copy Explain why you don’t owe the money, enclose copies of supporting documents and identity theft report You have right to ask debt collector for name of business that is owed money and how much You also have the right to ask the business that is owed the money for copies of credit applications, other documents relating to the ID theft
Slide 13: Put fraud alert on your credit files so creditors will take extra precautions to verify that someone is not pretending to be you Two kinds of fraud alerts: •“initial fraud alert” says on records 90 days, does not require official identity theft report •“extended fraud alert” stays on records for 7 years, requires official identity theft report
Slide 14: Which kind of alert to place in credit files? Place initial alert if you think you might be ID theft victim but not sure; for example •if you lost your wallet •if you find out someone got access to customer records at place you do buisness Place extended fraud alert if you have reason to believe someone illegally used your ID If you put initial fraud alert on file, you can always request extended alert later if need be Only need to contact 1 credit bureau; fraud alert will be shared with other 2 Equifax, 800-525-6285, www.equifax.com Experian, 888-397-3742, www.experian.com TransUnion, 800-680-7289, www.transunion.com
Slide 15: When you file fraud alerts, credit bureaus will contact you to offer free copies of your credit reports If you filed initial fraud alert, you can get 1 copy of report from each credit bureau If you filed extended fraud alert, you can get 2 copies from each, one immediately, other within 12 months Since information at credit bureaus may differ, get reports from all 3
Slide 16: Check reports carefully, follow instructions to dispute unauthorized accounts or charges Be specific about information you believe is result of ID theft You can permanently block that information from report You will need to provide copy of official “identity theft report” to do so Only need to report problems with credit report to 1 bureau, information will be shared with other 2