Don't be a Victim

In the course of the day you may write a check at the drugstore, charge tickets to a concert, rent a car, call home on your cell phone, or apply for a credit card. Chances are you don’t give these routine transactions a second thought. But others may. 

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, affecting half a million new victims each year.  Approximately 286,000 North Carolinians have their identity stolen annually. A typical victim spends on average $800 and 175 hours over 23 months to clean up his or her credit and erase $18,000 in fraudulent charges. Identity theft is also bad for business, costing businesses billions per year.

Identity theft is the taking of a victim’s identity to obtain credit and credit cards from banks and retailers, steal money from a victim’s existing accounts, apply for loans, establish accounts with utility companies, rent an apartment, file for bankruptcy, or obtain a job or services using a victim’s name and personal information.  Thousands of dollars can be stolen and the victim may not know it for weeks, months, maybe even years. 

How Does Identity Theft Occur?

All an identity thief needs is any combination of your Social Security number, birth date, address, and telephone number.  This makes it possible to fake a driver’s license and then pose as you in order to apply for credit or obtain services.  Once an identity thief opens one account opening the second and so on is much easier.

Identity thieves can get information about you from doctors, lawyers, schools, health insurance carriers and many other places.  They may pick up your discarded mail which may contain personal information.  They may hack into your computer and take your Social Security number and credit card information.  They may send you an email message asking you to “update” your account information and link you to a bogus website so they can steal your personal information. 

How Do I Prevent Identity Theft?

·        Do not give out personal information over the telephone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or know with whom you are dealing.

·        Shred all documents, including pre-approved credit applications, insurance forms, bank checks and statements you are discarding, and other financial information.

·        Protect your computer from Internet intruders – use “firewalls.”  Also use anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date.

·        Create hard-to-guess passwords that cannot be found in any dictionary. Select passwords with at least eight characters and that include a mix of numbers and both uppercase and lowercase letters.

·        Minimize the identification information and the number of cards you carry. Take with you only what cards you will actually need.

·        Do not put your Social Security number on your checks or your credit receipts.  If a business requests your Social Security number, give them some sort of alternate identifier instead.

·        Be careful when using ATM machines, point-of-sale machines, and long-distance phone cards.  Someone may be looking over your shoulder to see your PIN.

·        Make a list of all of your credit card account numbers and bank account numbers with customer service telephone numbers, and keep it in a safe place.

·        Never submit your credit card number on a web site unless it is encrypted on a secured site.  Look at the bottom of the screen for a padlock symbol. Do not select to save your information on the site for future reference.

·        Pay attention to your billing cycles.  Follow up with creditors if bills do not arrive on time.  A missing credit card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your credit account and changed your address with the company.

·        Cancel all credit cards you have not used in the last six months.

·        Order your credit report at least twice a year from the three major credit bureaus: Equifax (www.equifax.com), Experian (www.experian.com), and Trans Union (www.transunion.com).  The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you to get one free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once per year.  You can also visit www.annualcreditreport.com.

·        Correct all mistakes on your credit report in writing.  Send a letter to the credit reporting agency identifying the problems item by item, include a copy of the credit report, and send the letter return receipt requested. 

What Do I Do If I Am A Victim?

If you find yourself to be a victim of identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that you do the following:

·        Contact the fraud department of the three major credit reporting bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file.  The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts.

·        Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.  Use the ID Theft Affidavit available at www.ftc.gov.

·        File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others who may require proof of the crime.

·        File your complaint with the FTC at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.  The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations.  Filing a complaint also helps the agency to learn more about identity theft and the problems that victims are having so that it can better assist you.