Identity Theft

Prevention >> Minimizing the Risk of Identity Theft

• Review your credit report annually
• Protect your PINs and passwords
• Protect your personal information
• Proper use of Social Security number
• Safeguard your mail and trash

Review your credit report annually…for FREE.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the major consumer reporting companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit reports annually. To order your free annual report:

• Visit the Annual Credit Report Website
• Call toll-free 877-322-8228
• Fill out a Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to:
  
  Annual Credit Report Request Service
  P.O. Box 105281
  Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
• You can print your form HERE

Under federal law, you are entitled to a free credit report if you are:

• Denied an application for credit
• Denied insurance
• Denied employment
• Unemployed and plan to look for a job
• On welfare or
• your report is inaccurate because of a fraud.

You must submit a request for a free credit report within 60 days of receiving notice of any of the above actions.

To buy a copy of your credit report, contact:
Equifax: 1-800-685-1111
TransUnion: 1-800-916-8800
Experian: 1-888-397-3742

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Protect your PINs and passwords

• Select passwords for your credit cards, debit cards, and phone accounts that can't be easily detected.
• Avoid using passwords like your mother's maiden name, birth date, phone number or the last four digits of your social security number.
• Try using a mixture of random numbers and letters.

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Protect your personal information

• Store personal information such as bank statements, credit card statements, social security card, account numbers and tax returns in a secure area (locked file) your home.
• Be informed about who has your personal information, and what they are doing to keep it secure.
• Places that normally hold your personal information are your workplace, doctor's office, utility companies or banks. Ask questions about their security procedures like:
  

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• Do not give your personal information to anyone with whom you are uncomfortable.
• Do not give out your credit card numbers, account numbers, social security numbers over the telephone unless you have initiated the contact or you know the person with whom you are dealing.
• Carry only the minimum amount of identifying information when you go out.
• Keep a list of the 24-hour emergency telephone numbers of all credit cards in your cell phone's address book.
• Protect your purse and wallet.
  • Carry your wallet in your front pocket.
  • Never leave it in your vehicle or any other places it can be stolen.
  • At work, keep your purse in a safe place.

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Proper use of Social Security number

• Do not carry your social security number card around with you.
• If a company asks for your social security number, see if there are any other types of identifiers that could be used instead.
• If a company uses your social security number as an account number, ask if they can change it to another number.

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Safeguard your Mail and Trash

Be careful when disposing of mail that may contain important personal identification information.

• Properly dispose of credit card applications, credit card receipts, bank statements, and other financial information.
• Use a cross-cutting shedder to properly destroy your documents.
• Be careful when responding to promotions over the mail, phone, or internet.
• Pick up new ordered checks directly from your bank instead of through the mail.
• When away from your home, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to place a hold on your personal mail.
• Deposit all outgoing mail at post office collection boxes or at a local post office.

It is also important to know that there are ways to opt-out of receiving credit card applications and telephone solicitations.

• To opt out of pre-approved offers for credit cards, call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT and ask to be taken off the list.
• To remove your name from many of the national direct mail lists, send your name and address to the address below with a request to be taken off the mailing lists.
  
  DMA Mail Preference Service
  P.O. Box 9008
  Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
• To remove your number from telephone solicitations from many of the national marketers, send your name, address, and telephone number to the address below and request to be taken off the telephone list.
  
  DMA Telephone Preference Service
  P.O. Box 9014
  Farmingdale, NY 11735-9014