What is identity theft?
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name,
Social Security number, credit card number, or other financial account information without your
permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that
as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year.
How do thieves steal an identity?
Identity thieves may use a variety of methods to get hold of your information, including:
Dumpster Diving -
They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information
on it.
Skimming -
They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your
card.
Phishing -
They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to
get you to reveal your personal information. See also our credit union web page called
"You'll never catch us phishing".
Changing Your Address -
They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a change of address
form.
Old-Fashioned Stealing -
They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved
credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records for their
employers, or bribe employees who have access.
What should you do if your identity is stolen?
If you are a victim of identity theft, take the following steps as soon as possible. Keep a record
with the details of your conversations and copies of all correspondence. Identity theft is serious
and can cost you time, money, ruin your credit and destroy your good name. You may not discover it
for months, after your loan application is rejected, or when you notice charges on your credit card
statement that you didn't make. You may even be arrested for crimes you did not commit.
Ask for a free credit report. Once you place the fraud alert on your file, you're entitled to
order free copies of your credit reports. When you get your credit reports, review them
carefully. If you find fraudulent or inaccurate information, get it removed.
Close any accounts that you suspect have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
File a report with your local police or police in the community where the identity theft took
place and get a copy of that report or report number.
Finally, you need to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). By sharing your
identity theft complaint with the FTC, you will provide important information that can help law
enforcement officials across the nation track down identity thieves and stop them. You can use
the
online complaint form;
or call the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261;
or write Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20580.
What can you do to help fight identity theft?
Awareness is an effective weapon against identity theft. Awareness of how information is stolen, how
to protect yourself, what to do when you suspect your identity has been stolen, the need to monitor
your personal information and uncover any problems quickly.
Protect your Social Security number. Avoid carrying around any identification that has your
Social Security number on it. Give it out only if absolutely necessary or ask to use another
identifier.
Keep your personal information in a secure place at home. Shred financial documents and
paperwork with any personal information before you throw them out.
Never give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet
unless you know whom you are dealing with.
Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails; instead, type in a web address you know. Use
firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to protect your home computer; keep them
up-to-date.
Don't use an obvious password like your birth date, your mother's maiden name, or the last
four digits of your Social Security number.
Check you credit reports annually. Federal law requires the major nationwide consumer
reporting companies—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—to give you a free copy of
your credit report every 12 months if you ask for it. Visit
www.AnnualCreditReport.com
or call 1-877-322-8228, a service created by these three companies, to order your free credit
reports. You also can write: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta,
GA 30348-5281. The above mentioned website is the ONLY authorized online source for you to
get a free credit report under federal law. Some other sites claim to offer "free" credit
reports, but may charge you for another product if you accept a "free" report.
The above information and much more can be found on the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) website at
www.ftc.gov.
