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Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft
Identity theft is a growing problem. Hundreds of
thousands of people have their lives disrupted each year by this crime.
Identity theft involves someone acquiring pieces of your personal information
such as name, address, date of birth, social security number, credit union
account numbers, mother's maiden name and then uses that information to
pose as or impersonate you. With this information, an impersonator can
take over your financial accounts, open new accounts, apply for loans
and credit cards.
| Here are some precautions you can take to protect your
good name: |
| 1. |
Promptly
remove mail from your mailbox and never use your mailbox for outgoing
mail. Deposit outgoing mail at post office collection mailboxes. |
| 2. |
Never
give personal information over the telephone, such as your social
security number, date of birth, mother's maiden name, credit card
number, etc. unless you initiated the phone call. |
| 3. |
Shred
pre-approved credit applications, credit card receipts, bills and
other financial information before discarding them in the trash. |
| 4. |
Order
your credit report from the three major credit bureaus at least once
a year to check for fraudulent activity or other discrepancies. Equifax:
(800) 997-2493 Experian: (888) 397-3742 TransUnion: (800) 916-8800 |
| 5. |
Memorize
your social security number and all of your passwords and PINs. Do
not record them on anything in your wallet or purse. |
| 6. |
Sign
all new credit cards upon receipt. |
| 7. |
Save
all credit card receipts and match them against your monthly bills. |
| 8. |
Notify
your credit card companies and financial institutions in advance of
any change of address or phone number. |
| 9. |
Report
lost or stolen credit cards or checks immediately. |
| 10. |
When
using the Internet, use caution when disclosing checking account numbers,
credit card numbers, or other personal information unless you receive
a secured authentication key from your provider. |
| 11. |
Empty
your wallet of extra credit cards and Ids and cancel the ones you
do not use and maintain a list of the ones you do. |
| 12. |
Never
leave receipts at ATMs, credit union counters, trash receptacles or
unattended gasoline pumps. |
| 13. |
Be
conscious of normal receipt of routine financial statements. Contact
the sender if they are not received in the mail. |
| 14 |
Never
loan your credit cards to anyone else. |
| 15. |
Never
put your credit card or any other financial institution account number
on a postcard or on the outside of the envelope. |
| 16. |
If
you applied for a new credit card and it hasn't arrived in a timely
manner, call the issuing company immediately. |
| 17. |
Closely
monitor expiration dates on your credit cards. Contact the credit
card issuer if replacement cards are not received prior to the expiration
date. |
| 18. |
Beware
of mail or telephone solicitations disguised as promotions offering
instant prizes or awards designed solely to obtain your personal information
or credit card numbers. |
| 19. |
Store
new and cancelled checks in a safe place. |
| 20. |
Block
your ATM transaction with your body. Keep the keyboard from view and
prevent someone from learning your PIN. |
| 21. |
Do
not put your social security number or driver's license number on
new check orders. |
If you want to remove your name from many national direct mail lists,
send your name and address to:
DMA Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
If you want to reduce the number of telephone solicitations
from many national marketers, send your name, address and telephone number
to:
DMA Telephone Preference Service
P.O. Box 9014
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9014
If you become a victim of identity theft, take these
steps immediately:
- Contact the credit union, your credit card companies and other financial
institutions.
- Call the three major credit bureaus at the numbers listed above and
request that a "fraud alert" be placed on your file.
- Call the Social Security Fraud Hotline: (800) 269-0271
- Contact the FTC Identity Theft Hotline: (877) 438-4338
For more information, visit the U.S. government's
central website for information about identity theft at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
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