How can I minimize the possibility
of someone stealing my identity?
The primary responsibility for protecting your identity
lies with YOU. Identity theft protection services or
subscriptions are generally not worth the expense.
You can usually protect yourself just as well. You
may not be able to completely prevent your identity
being stolen, but there is much you can do to minimize
it. Here are some links to detailed information on
this page:
- Be stingy with information.
- Don't
divulge personal identifying information
(e.g., account number, Social Security number,
license number), especially over the telephone,
unless you are sure you're dealing
directly with the correct company or a fully
authorized representative.
- Talk with a supervisor if you want verification.
- Ask for, and make a record of, the name and
contact information of the person you speak with
before proceeding.
- Ask what your information will be used
for.
- Ask about the company's privacy policy. Ask specifically if they share your information with other companies.
- Ask if you can "opt-out" of
having your information shared with other companies.
- Guard your Social Security number (SSN).
- Do not put this on any form unless there is
a proven requirement for it to be there. Section
7 of the Privacy Act provides that any agency
requesting your SSN to inform
you whether that disclosure is mandatory
or voluntary, by what statutory authority such
number is solicited, and how it will be used.
- If a business is using your SSN as part of
your account number or identification number,
ask them to allow you to use an
alternate identification.
- Never have your SSN
or license number printed on checks.
- Don't carry your Social Security
card with you.
- Don't use your SSN
as your driver's license number or other
form of identification.
- For more information on your SSN, see http://www.epic.org/privacy/ssn/
- Know privacy policies.
Before you set up an account with a
business (online
or elsewhere), read and understand its privacy policy.
If you do not understand it, seek clarification.
If it is not acceptable to you, reconsider setting
up the account. Ask if they share your information
with other companies and find out if you can "opt-out."
- Carry only what you need.
- Don't carry infrequently used or out-of-date cards or licenses.
- Don't carry a checkbook.
- Pay by cash or credit card.
- Remove unnecessary personal information from
your vehicle.
- Know how to contact
the issuing companies if your cards are
lost or stolen.
- Lock up the information you don't carry with
you.
- Make and keep in a safe place:
- an up-to-date inventory
of the cards you carry
- contact information for the issuing
companies of your cards
- photocopies of both sides of each item
of personal information in your wallet
- Protect your cards and passwords.
- Do not sign the back of credit, ATM or debit
cards. Instead, write "Ask for picture ID" in
the space where you would normally sign.
- If your card is lost or stolen, immediately
contact both the issuing company and the three credit
reporting bureaus to have a "Fraud Alert" placed
in your file. Generally, you have only 60 days
to dispute any charges.
- Make sure no one is looking over your shoulder
when you use an ATM machine.
- Monitor your
account activity.
- Destroy all credit card receipts you no longer
need and keep the others locked up.
- If credit
card receipts have your entire account
number printed on them, ask the company to
print only the last few digits instead.
- Cancel your paper bills and
pay them online through a secure Web site.
- Monitor account balances and activity at least
weekly online (monthly if you have paper bills).
- Keep a calendar of when each of your paper
bills normally arrives and contact the company
if one is late or missing.
- Each month, read and verify every line item
on all invoices, bills and statements. If there
are charges that you cannot verify, immediately
contact the company for clarification.
- If you
find erroneous charges, file a formal dispute
as soon as possible, within 60 days of the transaction.
You may also need to notify the three credit
reporting bureaus and possibly file a police
report.
- Secure your mail.
- Use a locked or secured mail box, commercial
box, post office box or mail room service at
your office for business transactions.
- If you think someone
else has been using your mailing address, check
with the post office for unauthorized change-of-address
requests.
- Keep pre-approvals from credit card companies
out of your mailbox by removing
your name from the marketing lists of the three credit
reporting bureaus. To do this,
- Tighten up your banking activities.
- If possible, check your statements online instead
of having paper copies mailed to you.
- Monitor your
balances and activity electronically (at least
once per week). Be sure you are using a "secure" site.
- If you do not have access to online accounts,
review paper bank statements monthly for missing
statements.
- Pick up new checks at the bank. Do
not have them mailed to you.
- Do not have your SSN, license number, or membership
numbers printed on checks.
- Have your checks imprinted with only your initials
and last name instead of your first and last
names.
- Use your work telephone
number, address or U. S. Post Office box rather
than your corresponding home phone number and
address.
- When paying a bill by check, include only the
last few digits of your account number instead
of the full number.
- Consider using traveler's checks instead of
personal checks.
- Use email-based account “alerts” to
monitor transfers, payments, low balances and
withdrawals.
- Be especially careful online.
- Use only secure sites, which are indicated
by an address that begins with https://. Be aware that fraudulent sites can also have this designation.
- Look for the closed lock icon in the browser
window.
- Update your antivirus, antispyware and
other filters as often as new definitions become available. This will help reduce the chance that information-stealing crimeware will be installed on your computer.
- Always use a firewall. ( What is a firewall? Do I need a firewall?)
- Don't install
untrusted programs.
- Be cautious about opening attachments or
accepting cookies.
- Be very wary of solicitations from
untrusted
sources, e.g., charities, job offers, products specials, etc.
- Use only trusted methods of payment, e.g.,
credit or debit card, PayPal.
- Don't respond to
requests for updating your account information
without verifying the source of the request.
- Don't click on links inside emails purporting to come from a business with whom you have an account. Instead, initiate contact with the business the way you usually do and make sure that you have not been directed to a fake site posing as the business. Furnish information to the business only in ways you know are secure.
- Don't write down your user
IDs, passwords or PIN numbers.
- Change your passwords often. Use a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and acceptable symbols, if any.
- Always log off
when you finish using public Internet access
devices.
- For
more on Internet Safety, see http://familyinternet.about.com/cs/internetsafety1/a/safety14.htm
- Use
a shredder to destroy unneeded documents.
- Unwanted pre-approvals for credit cards in
your name
- Papers containing personal or financial information
or account numbers
- Unneeded charge
receipts
- Copies of credit applications
- Outdated insurance forms
- Old bank statements and checks
- Expired credit
cards
- Medical and insurance records that are no longer
needed
- Protect stored and transmitted electronic
information.
- Use passwords for controlling
access.
- Use encryption for transmitting sensitive
information.
- Control access to all critical information
such as operating systems components, applications
programs, user profiles, business transactions,
accounting files, and business or personally
identifying information.
- Make backups on a regular basis.
- Keep archived
copies in a secure location.
- Don't store locally
any more information than you need.
- Monitor your credit reports.
- Check these at least once
a year (now available annually
for free).
- Beginning September 1, 2005, North Carolina residents will be able to order their free credit reports online at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp, the central site set up by the three credit reporting bureaus. However, numerous fraudulent sites are interfering with the central site and claiming to offer free reports, so it is advisable to call the central phone number, (877) 322-8228, rather than ordering online.
- You may prefer to order from the central mailing address: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
- When you order, ask that only the last 4 digits of your Social Security number be printed on the reports.
- You do not have to provide an email address in order to get your free reports.
- Make sure to have the reports sent only to a secure mailing address.
- Get a free copy of your credit report annually from each credit bureau by visiting: http://www.annualcreditreport.com (You may want to spread this out. ie., Get one report from one of the companies each 4 monts rather than all three reports at once. Note: If you order your credit score (for a fee), it is our understanding that currently, only Equifax uses the official method of calculating the score. Experian and Trans Union use modified methods of calculating scores.
- In North Carolina, you can place a security freeze on your credit reports. See:
http://www.ncdoj.com/consumerprotection/cp_idtheft.jsp
- Review your reports very carefully, making sure they are accurate and include only those activities that you have authorized.
- If you find any erroneous entries, immediately contact the three credit reporting bureaus and file a fraud report. If necessary, file a police report.
- For more information, see these sites:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/freereports.htm
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
http://www.privacyrights.org/media/CallDontClickUpdate.htm
- Understand your rights under the Fair Credit
Reporting Act. See:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fcrasummary.pdf
- Be extra cautious when traveling.
- Keep important papers in a safe,
either one in the room or at the front desk.
- Have photocopies of your passport and all credit
cards and account numbers as well as the telephone
numbers of the issuing organizations.
- Keep these copies separate from the documents
themselves.
- Be wary of promotional scams.
Thieves use promotional offers (e.g., mail, online,
telephone, in person) to try to get you to divulge
personal information.
- Opt out.
- To remove your name from lists that four of the consumer
reporting firms (Equifax, Experian, Innovis, TransUnion) sell to credit card companies,
call 1-888-567-8688 (1-888-5OPTOUT) or fill out the form at their Web site, https://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t. You can choose removal will last for 5 years or permanently.
- To stop solicitations from The Direct Marketing
Association's 5,200 member companies, go to
http://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist. Fill in the information requested, print out the form and mail it to the designated address. Alternatively, for a $5.00 fee, you can submit your information online.
- To remove yourself from mortgage refinancing
and home equity offers, call Acxiom U.S. Consumer
Hotline, 1-877-774-2094 or go to http://www.acxiom.com/default.aspx?app=contact&id=1637&DisplayID=18. Choose "U. S. Consumer Opt Out" from the drop-down menu and fill out the form. An Opt-Out Request form will be mailed to you to complete and return. If you have already submitted an opt out form to the Direct Marketing
Association, Acxiom will obtain your request from them. You do not have to submit the Acxiom form separately.
- If you receive an unsolicited email that asks you to click on a link or mark a checkbox if you want to opt out and not receive any further messages, don't respond. Otherwise, you will get even more messages.
- Use a military freeze when you are deployed.
- If you are in the military, there is an extra
precaution that you can take. Before you
go overseas or to a location where you are not
likely apply for credit or manage your financial
accounts, add a “Soldier
Freeze Military Alert" to
all your credit files (e.g., credit
reporting bureaus, banks, credit
card companies,
mortgage lenders). This will help keep
you from falling victim to identity theft
while you are deployed.
- These alerts are good for
only one year. If your deployment lasts
longer, you can place another alert in your files.
- Understand your legal rights,
both federal and state. Assistance for victims
from local, state or federal agencies or businesses
is still minimal, but many changes are currently
in the works.
- Find out your responsibilities,
liabilities and reporting requirements for
erroneous or fraudulent transactions on your
accounts, especially credit cards.
Go to Identity Theft main page.
Content last updated April 28, 2005 by dlschmid
Page
last modified
September 13, 2007
by cawalker
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