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3.6 Million
households discovered that at least one member had been the victim
of identity theft during the previous 6 months
Department of
Justice-Special Report - April 2006
Identity theft is the crime
of obtaining the personal or financial information of another person
for the purpose of assuming that person's name to make transactions
or purchases. It has become the most common crime in America and it
happens every day to good, hard-working individuals all over the
country.
It can
happen to anyone, at anytime … and it can happen to you too!
In the blink of an eye,
unscrupulous identity thieves can gain access to your personal
and/or financial information and ruin the good name you’ve worked
your whole life to establish for yourself. And If you’re unprepared
and don’t recognize that the crime has taken place, months or even
years worth of damage can accumulate before being noticed and action
can be taken to resolve the problem. The effects can be
devastating, putting your and your family’s well-being in jeopardy.
No one is
safe from Identity theft … and regardless of what steps you take to
prevent it, there is no guarantee you will not become a victim
The means by which identity
thieves obtain an individual’s personal or financial information are
so numerous that it is impossible to guard against them all and the
possibility of becoming a victim always exists for everyone. But
precautions can be taken to reduce the chances and safeguards set in
place to minimize the effects in the event you become a victim of
identity theft.
Reduce
the chances … DETER, DETECT, DEFEND!
Here’s some
good news… the information contained in this report can reduce your
chances of becoming a victim of identity theft … and minimize the
effects if you ever do. By taking just a few minutes right now, you
can learn how to DETER, DETECT, and DEFEND against identity
theft! Read on to learn what you’ll need to do before and after the
crime.
In the new
Deter, Detect, Defend campaign, The Federal Trade Commission has
broken the process of dealing with identity theft into 3 helpful
phases, and outlined steps to be taken in each.
DETER – Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your information
·
Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal information
All bills and account statements, credit card offers, and any other
pieces of mail that contain your personal or financial information
should be shredded and not just thrown in the trash.
·
Protect your Social Security number
Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your
Social Security number on a check. Give it out only if absolutely
necessary or ask to use another identifier.
·
Don’t give out your personal information
Whether on the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet don’t
reveal your personal information unless you know who you are dealing
with. Check with the Better Business Bureau if you have questions
about a company’s legitimacy.
·
Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails
If
it is a company you know and have an existing relationship with,
type the web address you know directly into your web browser. Use
firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to protect your
home computer. Keep them up-to-date to guard against the latest
threats.
·
Don’t use obvious passwords
Common and simple passwords like your date of birth, your mother’s
maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number
are too easy for a thieve to guess.
·
Keep your personal information in a secure place at home
This is especially important if you have roommates, employ outside
help, or are having work done in your home.
DETECT – Detect suspicious activity by routinely monitoring your
financial accounts and billing statements
·
Be alert to signs that require immediate attention
o
Bills that do not arrive as expected
o
Unexpected credit cards or account statements
o
Denials of credit for no apparent reason
o
Calls or letters about purchases you did not make
·
Inspect:
o
Your
credit report. Credit reports contain information about you,
including what accounts you have and your bill paying history.
o
The
law requires the major nationwide consumer reporting
companies–Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion–to give you a free copy
of your credit report once a year upon request.
o
Your
financial statements. Review financial accounts and billing
statements regularly, looking for charges you did not make.
DEFEND – Defend against Identity Theft as soon as you suspect it
·
Place a “Fraud Alert” on your credit reports
and review the reports carefully
A Fraud 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. Placing a fraud alert
entitles you to free copies of your credit reports. Look for
inquiries from companies you haven’t contacted, accounts you didn’t
open, and debts on your accounts you don’t recognize and can’t
explain.
·
Close accounts
Close any accounts that have been tampered with or established
fraudulently.
o
Call
the security or fraud departments of each company where an account
was opened or changed without your consent. Follow up with copies
of supporting documents.
o
Use
the ID Theft Affidavit at
www.ftc.gov/idtheft to support your written statement.
o
Ask
for verification that the disputed account has been closed and the
fraudulent debts discharged.
o
Keep
copies of documents and records of conversations about the theft.
·
File a police report
File a report with law enforcement officials to help you with
creditors who may want proof of the crime.
·
Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission
Your report helps law enforcement officials across the country in
their investigations.
o
Online:
www.ftc.gov/idtheft
o
By
phone: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338)
o
By
mail: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission,
Washington, DC 20580
More Ways to Protect Yourself
Sorting
through credit card offers and other unwanted mail may be
frustrating and seem like a waste of time, but think twice about
just throwing them in the trash … unless you don’t mind increasing
your chances of becoming a victim of identity theft. “Dumpster
Diving” is a technique where identity thieves rummage through your
trash in search of bills, credit card offers, and other pieces of
mail that contain your information. It is just one of the numerous
ways your personal and/or financial information can be stolen. You
won’t even know it’s happened until one day you get a notice from a
collection agency for unpaid bills in your name, with a company
you’ve never heard of, in a city and state you’ve probably never
been in!
Eliminate the Source
The best way to
deal with a problem is eliminate the source. So if you didn’t have
those credit card offers and other unwanted junk-mail coming in, you
wouldn’t have to worry about how to handle them. Guess what? With
a quick phone call, letter or online request … you can save time and
energy, as well as give yourself additional protection against
identity theft. Here is some information that will help you
eliminate the source of the problem.
1.
Credit Card
Offers
The
credit bureaus offer a toll-free number that enables you to get out
of having card offers mailed to you for either five years…or
permanently. Just phone 1-888-5-OPTOUT (567-8688). You will be
prompted to provide some personal information, including your home
telephone number, name, address, and social security number. All
information provided is confidential and is used only to process
your request. And if over time you get lonely for some junk mail and
decide that you want to receive the card offers again, simply phone
the same number and you will be added back on the list.
2.
“Junk” Mail
The
Direct Marketing Association has a Mail Preference Service that
allows you to reduce the amount of commercial advertising mail that
you receive at home for five years. There are several ways to have
your name added to the “do not mail” list. The quickest and most
efficient way is to hit this link:
Do Not Mail Website.
From the website, you can enter the required information, print the
letter, and mail the letter to the address listed below. Or for a
nominal fee of $5, enter the required information and hit the
“register online” button.
Don’t want to enter your information online? No problem, just mail a
letter that includes a brief paragraph requesting to be excluded
from the marketing lists, your name – be sure to list all name
variations including, Jr, Sr, etc. – current and previous address,
and signature to:
Direct Marketing
Association
Mail Preference Service
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512
Important note:
You will not stop receiving mailings from organizations that are not
registered with the Association’s mail preference service, but at
least this measure will greatly reduce the amount of advertising
mail you receive.
3.
Email:
The Direct Marketing Association also has an Email Preference
Service that allows you to get out of receiving unsolicited
commercial email for five years. Visit
Do Not Email Website.
Enter up to three email addresses and a confirmation will be sent to
each email acknowledging the request. Replying to each email
confirmation within 30 days is required by DMA, or the email address
will be deleted and the request will not be processed.
Unfortunately, this measure will not eliminate most “spam” email,
but again, will at least help to reduce the amount of junk email you
may be receiving.
4.
Phone:
It's so well worth the time - if you haven't done it yet, do
yourself and your family a favor, and get on the National Do Not
Call Registry. Wouldn't it be great that knowing every time the
phone rings...it's actually someone calling for you or your family,
not someone out to sell you something? Protect yourself from
annoying telemarketers and phone solicitations by putting your home
number on the Do Not Call list via this link: Do
Not Call List
Removing your information from
the above lists will not only save you a lot of time and
frustration, it will also help protect you against identity theft.
What if
it happens to you?
Knowing what to do once the
crime has been committed is crucial in minimizing the damage and
putting your accounts and credit status back in good-standing as
quickly as possible. If you become a victim, just knowing what
steps to take can save you from many wasted hours and dollars when
dealing with the situation.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of identity theft and
would like information about how to erase the effects of identity
theft, ask me for a free copy of –
CREDIT SAVVY
– “How To Erase the Effects of Identity Theft in 10 Days”
– written by Edward Jamison. Mr.
Jamison is the founder of Jamison Law Group, P.C., and is an
attorney who specializes in consumer credit, identity theft and
numerous software products tailored to the mortgage industry.
Jamison is a nationally recognized expert on credit scoring.
The Federal Trade Commission
offers a more in-depth report including the explicit steps to take
in the event you are a victim of Identity Theft.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/idtheft.pdf
Call us for a complete review
Our team is here to help you... we
can do a complimentary identity theft check for you today, by
pulling your credit report and analyzing each line to ensure no
fraudulent tradelines have been opened or activity has taken place.
So please call our office or reply to this email, and we'll get
started right away.
Where to find more information:
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/index.html
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/help/it.htm
http://idtheft.about.com/
http://www.privacyrights.org/index.htm
http://www.ncjrs.gov/spotlight/identity_theft/facts.html
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