Identity theft…and prevention
By Elizabeth Hicks
Hicks@CountyWideNewspaper.com
In the
Identity theft, according to Cox, is the wrongful use of your personal without your permission. Your personal information can include such information as your name, social security number or credit card number.
Cox states that identity thieves will take out loans using your personal information or they will charge large amounts on your credit card. Some consumers have even experienced criminal convictions in their names from the criminal acts of ID thieves, said Cox.
Many victims of identity theft have found it hard to get credit cards or loans in their name because of the damage done to their credit rating, not to mention the time and effort it takes to reverse the effects of identity theft.
Often, consumers do not learn that they have become victims of ID theft until they are denied credit because of negative entries on their credit reports, says Cox.
Identity
theft is a serious crime and there are many reasons for consumers to be
concerned. Identity theft can strike anyone at any time, destroy a consumer’s
credit standing, cause adverse employment actions, result in wrongful criminal
convictions, create nightmares for citizens trying to restore their good names,
and can cause heavy fraud losses to honest businesses and drives up prices to
consumers.
Now
that we know why identity theft is such a problem, let's look into how identity
theft can happen to you.
Any
information that can be used to impersonate you could be used by identity
thieves, such as your credit card number, bank account number, social security
number, birth date, mother's maiden name, driver's license number, e-mail
address, and account passwords.
To get these types of information, identity thieves will: steal wallets and purses; steal your mail; submit a change-of-address for with the US Postal Service to divert your mail to another location; rummage through your trash; fraudulently obtain your credit report by posing as a landlord, bank, or employer; find personal information that you have left in a place accessible to the public like an unlocked car or department store; obtain personal information that you have shared on the Internet; obtain your personal information from an insider, for example, a store or bank employee.
Once identity thieves have your personal information, they can open new credit accounts, max out the card and never pay the bills. Then, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report.
Identity thieves can open bank accounts in your name and write bad checks on the account. Or they can counterfeit checks or debit cards to withdraw all of you money. They can take out loans or obtain credit in your name and never pay the money back.
Identity thieves can also establish telephone or other utility services in your name.
In order to prevent becoming a victim of identity theft, never give out your social security number, your date of birth, your mother's maiden name, your driver's license or state ID number, your e-mail address, account numbers, credit card numbers or other personal information unless you know who you're giving the information to and why.
You may want to consider paying for purchases in cash instead of by check so that you don't have to give the clerk your driver's license number. Also, be aware that identity thieves may call you and pretend to be a representative of a bank or a governmental worker.
Never give out any personal information to someone who calls you and demands it. If you are unsure, do not give out your information. Find the phone number for the company that the caller claimed to be from. You can find this information on a statement or in the phone book. Tell the caller that you will call them back. If they caller resists your request hang up on them.
Each month, carefully and promptly review you records for any unauthorized charges. Also, be sure to review your local, long distance, cellular, and other utility bills each month and report any unauthorized uses.
Make sure that you shred or otherwise destroy all mail and other documents that contain your personal information, including pre-approved credit card offers. If you don't shred these documents make sure to keep them and all other sensitive documents in a safe and secure place at home, especially if you have roommates or are having work done to your home.
Never use an insecure mailbox. Don't mail personal checks from an unlocked mailbox and make sure that sensitive mail is delivered to a secure mailbox or to a P.O. Box at your local post office.
Cancel all credit cards that you do not use. Consider calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567- 8688) to stop receiving pre-approved credit card offers in the mail.
Register with the FTC's national do-not-call list to stop telemarketing calls by either visiting www.donotcall.gov or by calling toll free 1-888-382-1222.
Make sure to tell your banks, insurers and other financial institutions not to share your customer information. However, they will still be able to share it with sister companies, subsidiaries or companies with whom they have a "joint marketing agreement."
Limit the amount of personal information on your personal checks. Leave out your middle name, phone number, social security numb, and driver's license number. If you have an established account, even your address can be left off your checks when you order new checks from your financial institution.
Keep a secure master list of all important identification, account numbers and the phone numbers of the customer service fraud departments of your card issuers in a safe, accessible place such as a safe deposit box in case your identification is lost or stolen.
Memorize all of your passwords or keep them in a safe location like a safe deposit box. Never keep passwords or PINs near the card they are associated with.
Be careful when shopping online; make sure that you are familiar with the company or seller and their privacy policy. Disclose only the information necessary to complete the purchase and opt out of information sharing if possible.
Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies every year. Make sure it is accurate and includes only those activities you've authorized. The law allows credit bureaus to charge you up to $9.00 for a copy of your credit report.
If you think that you have become the victim of identity theft, immediately review the FTC's publication "TAKE CHARGE: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft" located at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/idtheft.pdf.
Identity theft victims should also immediately contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus to report the theft. Ask for a "fraud alert" to be placed on your file and request that no new credit be granted without your express, personal approval.
Immediately contact the security or fraud departments of
credit card issuer, bank, utility company, or any other company that
maintains accounts that were opened or accessed fraudulently, and consider
closing affected accounts. Also, ask that your accounts be password protected
to prevent further unauthorized use of your credit.
Also,
call the FTC's ID Theft Clearinghouse toll-free at 1-877-ID-THEFT
(1-877-438-4338) or use the FTC's ID
Theft Complaint Form located at https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/widtpubl$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU03.
You
should also file a report with either your local police department or the
police department where the identity theft occurred. Keep the report for your
files.
Complete
the FTC's ID Theft Affidavit (included in the publication "TAKE CHARGE:
Fighting Back Against Identity Theft")
and keep a secure copy to provide to creditors, credit reporting agencies, or
law enforcement and other government offices, if requested.
If one of your creditors is
insisting that you pay a debt that is obviously the result of identity theft,
the Michigan Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division may be able to
help you resolve the problem. You can file a complaint with their office by
writing them at Consumer Protection Division,
Facts about identity
theft from Attorney General Mike Cox
Recommendation for
resident-care facility employees from Attorney General Mike Cox