Warning Signs

Often, there are no warning signs that identity theft has occurred.
However, some reasons for concern are:

• Your monthly credit card and bank statements suddenly stop arriving.
• You are denied credit for no apparent reason.
• You start getting bills from companies you do not recognize.
• Credit collection agencies try to collect on debts that do not belong to you. 

• Ask your bank, doctor's office, other businesses and your employer if they protect your personal information.
• Never carry your Social Security card, Social Security number, birth certificate or passport unless necessary.
• Do not put your address, telephone number or driver's license number on a credit card sales receipt.
• Social Security numbers or phone numbers should not be put on checks.
• Identifying information should not be given over the phone or the Internet to someone you do not know or on a cellular or cordless phone.
• Shred all personal documents before placing them in the trash!
• If your state uses your Social Security number as your driver's license number, ask for another number.

• Get a copy of your credit report every year.
• Keep your financial records out of sight. Burglars are just as interested in credit cards, bank accounts and investment statements as they are in your jewelry and other valuables.
• Check monthly credit card statements for charges you did not make. If monthly statements do not arrive in the mail call the lender immediately.
• Keep a list, in a safe place, of all credit cards and bank accounts including the account numbers, phone numbers and expiration dates. Check if your online purchase is processed on a secure server.
• Shred financial or confidential information such as credit card pre-approvals, credit card receipts, etc.
• If you have credit cards you do not use, store them in a safe place. Cancel the accounts if you will not use them again. Cut up old credit cards before discarding.
• Carry only the credit cards you plan to use.
• When you have applied for a new credit card, keep your eye on the mail and the calendar. If the card does not arrive within the appropriate time, call the credit card company.
• Do not use your mother's maiden name as a password for accounts. Make one up.
• Unless your mailbox is secure, mail payments at the post office and pick up new checks at your bank.
• If you are not interested in pre-approved credit offers, opt-out using the telephone number in our resource section.

What To Do If You Are A Victim

Despite your best efforts to protect yourself, you have become a victim. Now what? The following steps should be taken immediately and at the same time to best insure your protection.

Record Keeping
In the process of resolving the theft of your identity, be sure to keep records of all correspondence with the creditors and government agencies you contact. Include the date and name of contact. Follow up all telephone contacts with a letter and keep a copy.

Creditors
Notify all creditors and financial institutions in writing and by phone that your name and accounts have been used without your permission. If an existing account has been stolen, ask the creditor or bank to issue you new cards, checks and account numbers. Carefully monitor your account activity on your statements. Report fraudulent activity to the issuing company immediately. The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) is a federal law that limits a consumer's responsibility for fraudulent charges to $50.

Local Law Enforcement
Immediately report the crime to local police. Provide them with as much documentation as possible. Make sure that the accounts are listed on the police report. Also, get a copy of the police report. Credit card companies, banks and credit reporting agencies may require you to show a police report to support your claim that a crime was committed.

Federal Law Enforcement
Report the crime to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC collects complaints about identity theft from consumers and stores them in a secure online database called the Consumer Sentinel that is available to law enforcement agencies worldwide. The FTC provides information on ways to resolve problems resulting from identity theft and refers individuals to various private and government agencies for further action.

Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20580
1-877-IDTHEFT
www.consumer.gov/idtheft/

As an ID fraud victim, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report. Also, ask the agencies for a copy of your credit report every three months once you have become a victim. This can help determine how many and which accounts listed are fraudulent. You can also identify the existing accounts that have been stolen.

______________________________________________

Additional Resources

United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)
The USPIS is a federal law enforcement agency that investigates cases of identity theft. The agency has primary jurisdiction in matters involving the integrity of the U.S. mail.

U.S. Postal Inspection Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza
Washington, DC 20260
202-268-2284
www.usps.com/websites/depart/inspect/

United States Secret Service (USSS)
The USSS is a federal agency that investigates financial crimes. Generally, the USSS will intervene only when the dollar amount of the crime is high. However, they should still be notified in case it is part of a larger fraud ring.

U.S. Secret Service
Contact your local field office
www.ustreas.gov/usss/

Social Security Administration (SSA)
If you detect fraudulent use of your social security number, report it to the SSA. The SSA does not generally take action unless there is a high dollar amount, workplace impersonation or crimes committed in your name. They will only change your SSN if you fit their fraud victim criteria.

Social Security Administration
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235
1-800-269-0271 (fraud hotline)
www.ssa.gov

Additional Steps

• If your bank accounts have been tampered with close those accounts, destroy any checks and cut up any ATM cards. Ask for password protection when opening new accounts.
• If your checks have been stolen or misused, stop payment on all checks. Open a new account and reissue checks to legitimate creditors. Also, ask your bank to notify its check verification company to stop giving approval for any of the stolen checks.
• If you believe your investments or brokerage accounts have been tampered with, report it to your account manager and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
  1-800-SEC-0330
  www.sec.gov
• Even if you think a problem is resolved, check your credit report every six months for several years after your identity was stolen.
• If you suspect your name and SSN are being used by an identity thief to get a driver's license or non-driver's ID card in your name, contact your Department of Motor Vehicles.

Cut the Line on Phishing Scams

There is a new type of phishing out there, and it doesn’t require a rod or a reel. This type of phishing is a scam that uses emails to steal information from consumers.

How it Works

Most commonly, the scammers will try to pass themselves off as a financial institution such as Citibank, VISA, or Bank of America. They use authentic logos in the email and even provide phone numbers for you to call to verify the need for this information. The email will threaten to suspend or even cancel your account if you don’t supply the requested information, which may include social security number, date of birth, mother’s maiden name, or address. They don’t, however, only use financial institutions to mask their operations; retail stores, such as Best Buy, have also been used in these phishing expeditions.

Don’t Fall Hook, Line, and Sinker

The emails are sent out just like any other spam, blindly mass mailed to every address they can find. This is often the first way these phonies are spotted. Consumers who have no accounts with Citibank, receive an email telling them their account is about to be suspended. Luckily, this tips off a number of consumers that something is wrong. If you do get one from a company that you have a relationship with, look over the entire email. Most of the time, the phone numbers provided in the fakes won’t be 800 numbers and will take you offshore or to a call center set up by the phishers. Also know that most companies and financial institutions constantly warn their consumers that they will never ask for personal information through email. If you really think there might be a problem and your account is about to be frozen, call the company using a phone number provided on the back of your card or on your account statement. If it is a retail store, go back to the website and use the customer service number listed there.

Better Bait

The phishers are getting more clever as people become more educated about these scams. Now they often provide links in the email that take you directly to the website of the company they are masquerading as, except that when you get there, a new pop-up window appears on your screen requesting the desired information. Once submitted, you are able to do what you need to on the company’s website, but the pop-up sent your information directly to the phishers. To avoid being hooked by a phisher, always use a phone number you know to be valid, not one provided in the email, to verify the need for the information. Also, it is a good idea to type in the web address of the company you are trying to use yourself, so you don’t run the risk of going to a fake website or being netted with a pop-up.

What to do if You’ve been Caught

When this information is collected, it gives the phishers access to your bank accounts, credit cards and other financial records. As if this isn’t bad enough, most of these criminals don’t stop there, they go on to steal your identity. For more information on identity theft click here.

If you find an example of phishing in your inbox,  report it to Call For Action by email at office@callforaction.org and the Better Business Bureau.

______________________________________________

Online Computer Complaint Form, click here .