Identity Theft

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Use Caution When Shopping On-Line Use caution when shopping at unfamiliar websites. If you've never shopped with them before, check them out at bbb.com or bizrate.com. You should also make sure that you have a physical address, and phone number to contact them, not just an email address.
Say "No" to Convenience Checks Ask your credit card issuers to stop including convenience checks with your statements. These are not only treated as cash advances and carry exorbitant interest rates, but they're very attractive to identity thieves who will steal mail in search of them. You may have a hard time convincing you're credit card issuers to do this, because it's a big part of their marketing ploy to get you to use more credit, but be persistent.
Opt Out of Pre-Approved offers Identity thieves love to get hold of "pre-approved" credit card applications, which make it easier for them to apply for credit in other people's names. If one of these is stolen from your mailbox, you'll never miss it. You can opt out of allowing credit bureaus to share your credit data for the purpose of pre-approved offers from credit card companies by contacting each of the three major credit reporting agencies and requesting to "opt out". (Equifax, (800) 685-1111. https://www.econsumer.equifax.com / Experian, (888) 397-3742. experian.com / Trans Union, (800) 916-8800. transunion.com.)
Notify All Accounts of Fraud If you are a victim of identity theft, make sure to contact all retail outlets that have issued you a credit card of the fraud, in addition to your other accounts. You want to talk to each store's security and/or fraud department and explain your situation. Many department stores have a fraud department for a reason. Use them and save needless headaches.
Make a Federal Case Out of It The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) maintains a hotline to report your identity theft. The FTC aggressively pursues theft rings and your call might be the last puzzle piece they need to arrest the perpetrators. Call 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338) and help take a bite out of crime.
Look for the Little Lock How do you know if the site you're on is secure? Look for the little padlock on the lower right corner of your computer screen. If you don't see the padlock, don't enter any credit card or personal information like your checking account number that might be useful to prowling identity thieves.
Hold on to your Plastic Whenever possible, don't let your credit card out of your sight. It only takes seconds for someone to run your card through a "skimmer," which is a portable device as small as a cellular phone that can copy your credit card information. This information can then be copied to a fake card and be used to charge purchases to your account.
Go to the Police If you find yourself a victim of identity theft, file a police report with your town's police department. Though the local authorities may not be able to track down the person who stole your identity, you may need a record of your loss for the credit bureaus.
Get a Locking Mailbox Identity thieves sometimes steal mail out of mailboxes, in order to get personal information that can be used to apply for credit in someone else's name. One way to avoid this is to get a mailbox that locks. There is a slot for the mail carrier to insert the mail, but a key is required to remove it.
Don't Let Websites Store Card Information A lot of websites offer the convenience of storing your credit card information on their site. Supposedly, this saves you time when you shop on their site. How much time does it really save, and is it worth the risk? It seems like every month there is news about security breaches where a major company loses customer data, a company gets hacked and loses credit card data, or a company insider steals credit card account information. Also, steer clear of storing sensitive checking account and debit card account information on websites.Take the extra 60 seconds to pull your card out of your wallet and enter the information yourself.
Contact Government Agencies You wouldn't believe how far ID theft can reach into your personal life, affecting everything from your Social Security check to your tax records to your military pension. If you believe your personal information has been compromised, contact the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov, and the Internal Revenue Service at irs.gov.
Change Your PIN Identity thieves know that people often use the same personal identification number, or PIN, for more than one account. Maybe you use the same PIN, a child's birth date for example, for your debit card and to log on to your favorite Internet site. Change your PIN numbers for different accounts so if the bad guys get one PIN they won't get them all.
Guard Your Social Security Number (SSN) Don't print your Social Security Number (SSN) on your checks. You don't know how many hands your check may pass through before making it to the bank. With your SSN, address, and bank account #, an identity thief has enough information to open an account in your name.
Start Taking Notes Worst case scenarios of ID theft can be a nightmare to reconcile. It can take months to clean up the mess, and your credit may still be compromised. Faced with such a disaster, start documenting everything.Make copies of credit card statements, bills, collection calls. This may be valuable evidence someday.
Shredding Documents Invest in a paper shredder to make your personal documents unusable to an identity thief. The best type is a cross-cut shredder, which makes confetti of your documents. You can pick up one suitable for home use for about $50 at an office supply store.
Save $50 by Reporting Early If you report your credit card stolen before someone has the opportunity to use it, you can't be held responsible for any charges made to your account. However, if your card is used, you will be held responsible for the first $50, especially if you haven't reported the card stolen or missing.
Never Carry Your Social Security Card With a driver's license and a social security card, identity thieves will be able to open credit card accounts in your name, open bank accounts and tap into your most personal records - from investment holdings to bankruptcy proceedings. Remove your Social Security card from your wallet or purse. It may not stop them, but it'll slow them down some.
Mail at the Post Office Don't leave your out-going mail in your mailbox to be picked up by the letter carrier. Identity thieves can steal credit card payments, and other outgoing mail. If you have a check contained in that mail, an identity thief can even "wash" the ink off the check and re-write it for their own financial gain.
Keep Track of Statement Dates One unsophisticated, but effective, ruse used by identity thieves is to steal monthly statements out of mailboxes. Your statement includes information that an identity thief could put to mis-use, and often includes "convenience checks" that can be used for cash advances. If you haven't received your statement when expected, call your card company immediately to make sure there has been no unusual activity.
Don't Forget your ATM and Debit Cards Unlike credit cards that limit consumer losses to $50, ATM and debit cards don't have any limits and you might be held responsible for all money taken from your account fraudulently! Notify your bank as soon as you know your ATM or debit cards are missing.
Copy your Cards It's a good idea to take all of the cards out of your wallet or purse and make a copy of the front and back on a copy machine. Keep this information stored in a safe place. This way, if you were ever to lose your wallet or have it stolen, you will have all the information you need to report the loss.
Check Your Credit at Least Annually If you believe you've been the victim of identity theft, credit reporting agencies are required by law to give you a free credit report. Check your report at least once a year to see if there's anything you can't explain and to see who ordered a credit check on you. The three major credit reporting bureaus can be found at: econsumer.equifax.com, experian.com, or transunion.com