Lost or stolen wallet or checkbook

Transcription

1 Identity theft is ne f the fastest-grwing financial crimes in America, accunting fr lsses in the billins f dllars every year. The Federal Trade Cmmissin reprts that 10 millin Americans discvered that their persnal infrmatin had been misused by smene else in sme manner last year. The Brwn Cunty Sheriff s Department ffers these tips fr prtecting yurself, and advice f what t d if it happens t yu. Identity theft is when smene illegally btains a persn s identifying infrmatin, such as name, address, date f birth, scial security number r mther s maiden name. Armed with this infrmatin, an impster can pen new credit card accunts, drain yur bank accunts, purchase autmbiles, apply fr lans, pen utility services and n and n. Identity theft can ccur in a number f different ways. But if yu knw what t lk fr and hw it happens, yu can minimize yur verall risk. Here are a few cmmn scenaris t watch ut fr: Lst r stlen wallet r checkbk The mst cmmnly reprted surce f infrmatin used t cmmit fraud is a lst r stlen wallet r checkbk. Stlen wallets and checkbks usually cntain a number f credit and debit cards, in additin t ther persnal dcumentatin. Using these items, a thief can get enugh infrmatin t btain credit under the victim s name, r sell the infrmatin t an rganized crime ring.

2 Dumpster diving Thieves rummage thrugh trash cans fr pieces f nn-shredded persnal infrmatin that they can use r sell. Mail Theft Crks search mailbxes fr pre-apprved credit card ffers, bank statements, tax frms, r cnvenience checks. They als lk fr credit card payment envelpes that have been left fr pstal carriers t pick-up. Inside Resurces Half f all identity fraud is cmmitted by friends, family members, relatives, emplyees, and live-in caregivers with access t privileged infrmatin. Infrmatin such as persnal recrds, payrll infrmatin, insurance files, accunt numbers r sales recrds can be surces fr theft. Impsters Many have fallen victim t identity theft by individuals wh fraudulently psed as smene wh had a legitimate r legal reasn t access the victim s persnal infrmatin (e.g., a landlrd r emplyer asking fr backgrund infrmatin). Dcuments in the hme Unfrtunately, identity thieves can gain legitimate access int smene s hme and persnal infrmatin thrugh husehld wrk, babysitting, healthcare, friends, r rmmates. Online date Althugh mst identity theft ccurs thrugh traditinal methds, such as the nes utlined abve, risks still exist nline. Be cautius when sending infrmatin electrnically ver the Web. Accunt infrmatin sent thrugh , r nline chat, can be easily intercepted by thieves. Dn t have yur driver s license number r Scial Security number printed n yur checks. Dn t carry yur Scial Security card r birth certificate in yur wallet r purse. Try nt t carry mre than ne credit card in yur wallet; r carry nly the credit cards yu plan t use. Dn t carry credit card receipts. Keep them safe r destry them. When chsing passwrds, think f smething that is nt bvius. The best chice is a cmbinatin f upper and lwer case letters as well as numbers. D nt use yur mther s maiden name as a passwrd. Change the passwrds ften. Dn t carry accunt passwrds with yur cards r write them n the cards. When yu have applied fr a new card, keep yur eye n the mail and the calendar. If the card des nt arrive within the apprpriate time, call the credit card cmpany.

3 Shred all credit card ffers mailed t yu that yu dn t intend t apply fr. Sign up fr direct depsit f payrll t prevent paper checks frm ending up in the wrng hands. Never give yur credit card number r bank accunt infrmatin t anyne calling yu. Ask t have yur checks mailed t yur bank, nt t yur hme. Lck yur mailbx. Dn t leave utging mail in yur mailbx; drp it ff at the pst ffice r Pstal Service mail bx instead. D nt allw mail t g uncllected. Retrieve it prmptly. When paying with yur credit card, encurage clerks t check yur identificatin. Review mnthly bills carefully fr unexplained charges. Request electrnic versins f bills, statements, and checks instead f paper. Shred all dcuments with accunt numbers befre dispsing f them. Order nly frm secure, reputable Internet sites. Only use yur credit card n the internet if it will be encrypted. Order yur credit reprt frm three majr credit bureaus and make sure the infrmatin is crrect. Make phtcpies f the items in yur wallet (bth sides). Keep this phtcpy in a safe place. Prir t discarding a cmputer, make sure all persnal infrmatin is deleted frm its hard drive. Be aware f yur surrundings when entering yur Persnal Identificatin Umber (PIN) at an ATM. Make sure yu take receipts with yu after yur purchase. In many cases invlving identity theft, mnths pass befre the victim is aware f any wrngding. Simply mnitring yur credit card and accunt statements n a weekly basis can greatly decrease yur identity theft risk. In fact, the majrity f identity theft crimes are self-detected. And accrding t a recent reprt by the Better Business Bureau, accessing accunts nline prvides earlier identity theft detectin cmpared t mnitring mnthly statements and bills. Reprt lst r stlen credit cards immediately. Cancel all inactive credit card accunts When using yur credit card d nt vlunteer any persnal infrmatin. Clsely mnitr the expiratin dates n yur credit cards. Cntact the credit issuer if the replacement card is nt received prir t yur credit cards expiratin date. Sign all new credit cards upn receipt. Match yur credit card receipts against mnthly bills t make sure there are n unauthrized charges.

4 One f the mst frightening and verwhelming types f fraud is identity theft. If yu ve been r think yu ve been a victim f identity theft, there is a prven prcess in place that can help yu reslve yur prblem and help yu prtect yurself frm further harm. If yu think yu re a victim f identity theft, it s imprtant t act quickly t minimize yur lsses. Fllw these steps t minimize the damage and stp the thief: Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Step 5: ID-HOTLINE Credit Bureaus Plice Reprt Fraud Depts. FTC Reprt Step 1: Call fr free, cnfidential cunseling If yu are a victim f identity theft, yu can get help nw thrugh a unique partnership with the cnsumer netwrk Call fr Actin. Victims f identity theft can receive access t free, cnfidential cunseling by calling ID-HOTLINE ( ). This imprtant htline is staffed by trained cunselrs wh are ready t walk yu thrugh step-by-step the prcess f getting yur identity back. Yu can als g t Call fr Actin s web site t request assistance. Step 2: Cntact credit bureau Immediately place a fraud alert n yur credit reprts with a tll-free call t ne f the three natinal credit bureaus (see belw fr cntact infrmatin). Fraud alerts can stp an identity thief frm pening mre accunts in yur name. They als ensure yu will be cntacted befre any new accunt is pened r an existing accunt changed. Nte that ne call t any f the three credit bureaus will be enugh t place yur fraud alert the cmpany yu call is required t cntact the ther tw, within twenty-fur hurs. All three f the credit bureaus will be n alert. When placing a fraud alert, be sure t have the fllwing infrmatin available t prve yur identity: Name Scial Security number Address Yu may be required t prvide persnal infrmatin as requested. In additin t placing fraud alerts, the bureaus will: Opt yu ut frm all pre-apprved ffers f credit fr up t five years. Prvide a free cpy f yur credit reprts. This can help yu identity any new accunts that may have been pened. Pay particular attentin t the sectin f the reprt that list inquires frm new cmpanies. Cntact these cmpanies immediately and have them remve any pending r new accunts frm their system.

5 Equifax (Fraud Htline) (Reprt Order) P.O. Bx Atlanta, GA Experian (Fraud Htline) (Reprt Order) P.O. Bx 9556 Allen, TX TransUnin (Fraud Htline) (Reprt Order) P.O. Bx 6790 Fullertn, CA Step 3: File a Plice Reprt Yur reprt shuld be filed with yur lcal sheriff/plice department r the sheriff/plice where the identity theft tk place. In Wiscnsin stealing smene s identity is a vilatin f State Statute : Misapprpriatin f persnal identifying infrmatin r persnal identificatin dcuments. Keep yur cpy f the reprt r the reprt number as prf f the crime. It can help yu deal with creditrs and file Identity Theft reprts. Step 4: Cntact creditrs fraud departments Yu shuld clse any accunts that have been tampered with r pened withut yur permissin. Call and speak with smene in the security r fraud department f each creditr and describe yur identity theft prblem. Fllw up with a letter r affidavit be sure t include cpies (nt riginals) f supprting dcuments. It s imprtant t ntify credit card cmpanies and banks in writing. Take advantage f the Federal Trade Cmmissin s ID Theft Affidavit (PDF, 46k), a standard frm that helps simplify the identity theft reprting prcess. Victims can use it t reprt t different rganizatins, such as the three majr credit bureaus and banks r creditrs. anywhere an accunt has been pened under the victim s name. This is very imprtant fr credit card issuers, since the cnsumer prtectin law requires cardhlders t submit disputes in writing. It may prve helpful t the investigating fficer f the lcal sheriff r plice department yu have filed yur cmplaint with t prvide him r her with a cpy f the affidavit.

6 Federal Trade Cmmissin Cnsumer Respnse Center 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washingtn, DC IDTHEFT It is als a gd idea t send all crrespndence by certified mail, return receipt requested and keep a file f all yur letters and enclsures. QUICK TIP: after yu have clsed a fraudulent accunt with a creditr, always ask the creditr fr a letter cnfirming that they have clsed the accunt and discharged the debts. Make sure t keep this letter in yur files fr future reference, as yu may need it if the accunt reappears n yur credit reprt. Step 5: File a cmplaint with the Federal Trade Cmmissin (FTC) The FTC handles cmplaints frm victims f identity theft, prvides infrmatin t thse victims, and refers cmplaints t majr credit reprting and law enfrcement agencies fr further actin, as well as investigate cmpanies fr vilatins f laws the agency enfrces. T file a cmplaint, fill ut the nline cmplaint frm fund at the FTC website. MORE QUICK TIPS: here are sme helpful hints t rganize yur case: Have a plan Yu can never be t prepared. Have a list f questins and make sure they re all answered befre yu end yur call. Take names Write dwn the name, title and cntact infrmatin f everyne yu talk t, what he r she tells yu, and when the cnversatin ccurred. Fllw up Cntact everyne yu have spken with in writing. Use certified mail, return receipt requested as dcumentatin. Keep dcumentatin Make cpies f all crrespndence r frms yu send, and keep riginals f supprting dcuments, like plice reprts and letters t and frm creditrs send cpies nly. In sme cases yu may need these dcuments t prve that yu re a victim f identity theft. Maintain gd recrds Set up a filing system fr easy access t yur paperwrk and keep ld files even if yu believe yur case is clsed.