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Client
Resources
Information on Fraud and Identity Theft
Fraud and identity theft: corporate and personal costs
Increased e-commerce from the rise in Internet use has opened the
doors for easier fraud perpetration. While companies involved
in information
technology have invested in increased security, fraud prevention
is a continuing battle requiring the awareness of both consumers
and businesses.
The good
news is that there are simple steps you can take to help
prevent unauthorized access to your information and finances.
1. Identity theft: Identity thieves gain access to information
that allows them to pose as someone else. They may steal
boxes of checks,
bank statements
or other mail from a mailbox; steal a wallet or purse
and use the information to open new accounts, as well as spend
on existing
credit cards or
checks; or extend a fraudulent offer to you via phone
or mail. Many people who
have had their identities stolen have not found our until
the next
time they try to open a new credit account, or apply
for a home or other type
of loan.
How to prevent fraud & identity theft
Secure your mail. Empty your mailbox quickly, or get a PO box so criminals don’t have a chance to steal credit card pitches. Never mail outgoing bill payments and checks from home. They can be stolen from your mailbox and the payee’s name erased with solvents. Mail them from the post office or another secure location.
Safeguard your Social Security Number. Never carry your card with you, or any other card that may have your number, like a health insurance card. And don’t put your number on your checks. It’s the primary target for identity thieves because it gives them access to your credit report and bank accounts.
Don’t leave a paper trail. Never leave ATM, credit card or gas station receipts behind.
Never let you credit card out of your sight. Worried about credit card skimming? Always keep an eye on your card, or, when that’s not possible, pay with case.
Know who you’re dealing with. Whenever anyone contacts you asking for private identity or financial information, make no response other than to find out who they are, what company they represent and the reason for the call. If you think the request is legitimate, contact the company yourself and confirm what you were told before revealing any of your personal data.
Take your name off marketers’ hit lists. In addition to the national “Do-Not-Call registry 1-888-832-1222, you can also cut down on junk mail and opt of credit card solicitations by calling 1-888-5-OPT OUT.
Be more defensive with personal information. Ask Sales people and other if information such as a Social Security or driver’s license number is absolutely necessary. Ask anyone who does require you Social Security number – for instance, your insurance company – what their privacy policy is and whether you can arrange for the organization not to share you information with anyone else.
Review your credit card statements carefully. Make sure you recognize the merchants, locations and purchases listed before paying the bill. If you don’t need or use department-store or bank-issued cards, consider closing the accounts.
Guard your information. Do not give out your account numbers, login information or passwords for online transactions to others.
Know your delivery dates. Know when your account and bank statements come to you by mail, and contact the account holders or bank when you do not receive them by the usual dates.
Beware of unencrypted websites. Make sure you do not send your credit card information for online purchases through websites that are not secured & encrypted, or by mail.
Watch your ATM card. Be aware of those behind you when using the ATM machine; guard viewing access to your pin entry.
Don’t fall for telephone solicitations. Do not give your credit card, Social Security number of other personal information to telephone solicitors. If you are interested in the product, research the company and it’s product first and call them back to order if legitimate. Do not give any personal information over the phone in exchange for the promise of “winning” anything.
Email solicitations. If you receive an email directing you to the website of a company with which to do business, requesting for you to provide account numbers or other private information, do not provide the information. Contact the company directly to determine the legitimacy of such a request.
Be careful where you write your information down. Do not write account information or pin numbers on cards or places whereby a thief may be able to access both credit cards and pine numbers in the same theft – for example do not write your pin number on the backs of your credit or ATM cards.
What to do if it happens to you
One of your creditors informs you that they have received an application for credit with your name and Social Security number.
Incoming calls or letters stating the you have been approved or denied by a creditor to which you never applied.
You receive credit card, utility, or telephone statements in your name and address for which you never applied.
You no longer receive your credit card statements, or notice that not all of your mail is delivered to you.
A collection agency tells you they are collecting for a defaulted account established with your identity, but you never opened the account.
If you think you have become a victim of identity theft, or fraud, act immediately to minimize the damage to your funds, financial accounts and credit report. Below is a list of some actions that you should take right away:
Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report the situation:
Online at www.ftc.gov
Under the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, the Federal Trade Commission is responsible for receiving and processing complaints from people who believe they may be victims of identity theft, providing informational materials to those people, referring those complaints to appropriate entities, including the major credit reporting agencies and law enforcement agencies. For further information, please check the FTC’s identity theft web pages. You can also call your local office of the FBI or the U.S. Secret Service to report crimes relating to identity theft and fraud.
You may also need to contact other agencies for other types of identity theft.
Your local office of the Postal Inspection Service if you suspect that an identity thief has submitted a change-of-address form with the Post Office to redirect your mail, or has used the mail to commit frauds involving your identity.
The Social Security Administration, if you suspect that your Social Security number is being fraudulently used (call 800-269-0271 to report the fraud.)
The Internal Revenue Service if you suspect the improper use of identification information in connection with tax violations (call 1-800-829-0433 to report the violation.)
Call the fraud units of the three national credit bureaus:
Equifax:
Experian (formerly TRW): To report fraud, call 888-EXPERIAN
or 888-397-3742, fax
to 800-301-7196, or write
to P.O. Box 1017,
Allen, TX 75013.
Trans Union: To report fraud, call
800-680-7289 or write
to P.O. Box 6790,
Fullerton, CA. 92634.
Contact all creditors with whom your name or identifying data have been fraudulently used. For example, you may need to contact your long distance telephone company if your long-distance calling card has been stolen or you find fraudulent charges on your bill.
Contact all financial institutions where you have accounts that an identity thief has taken over or that have been created in your name but without your knowledge. You may need to cancel those accounts, place stop payment orders on any outstanding checks that may not have cleared, and change your Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card, account and Personal Identification Number (PIN).
Contact the major check verification companies (listed in the CalPIRG-Privacy Rights Clearinghouse checklist) if you have had checks stolen or bank accounts set up by an identity thief. In particular, if you know that a particular merchant has received a check stolen from you, contact the verification company that the merchant uses:
CheckRite:
800-766-2748
Additional resources for fraud & identity theft
Equifax’s resource center for fraud and identity theft.
https://www.experian.com/consumer/
http://www.TransUnion.com/content/
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft/html
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2000/02/idtheft.htm
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/bbcr.htm
http://www.ssa.gov/oig/guidelin.htm Social Security Administration information page regarding Social Security fraud, how to prevent it and what to do if you’re a victim.
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