Presentatin Overview *What is identity theft? *Hw des identity theft happen? *What can yu d? What is Identity Theft? Deter Detect Defend When smene uses yur persnal infrmatin t cmmit a crime r purchase gds and services withut yur knwledge Are yu at risk? It s Identity Theft The answer t this questin is yes! Facts: Identity Theft is the fastest grwing crime 2003 Federal Trade Cmmissin survey shwed 27.3 millin Americans have been victims f identity theft in the last five years. Victims lse $1,180 r mre and spend up t tw years clearing their name 1 in 6 adults say they have had their identity used by smene else since 1990
Hw des this happen? G thrugh yur trash r dumpster dive Steal yur wallet r purse Steal yur mail r submit a change f address frm frm yur mail Use phishing r fake emails t get yu t prvide persnal infrmatin Steal persnnel recrds frm their emplyers What is Phishing: (phish ing) The act f sending an e-mail t a user falsely claiming t be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt t scam the user int surrendering private infrmatin that will be used fr identity theft. The e-mail directs the user t visit a Web site where they are asking t update persnal infrmatin, such as passwrds and credit card, scial security, and bank accunt numbers, that the legitimate rganizatin already has. The Web site hwever, is bgus and set up nly t steal the user s infrmatin. What can yu d? DETER Deter identity thieves by safeguarding yur infrmatin DETECT Detect suspicius activity by rutinely mnitring yur financial accunts and billing statements DEFEND Defend against identity theft as sn as yu suspect a prblem DETECT suspicius activity by rutinely mnitring yur financial accunts and billing statements. Be alert Mail r bills that dn t arrive Denials f credit fr n reasn Inspect yur credit reprt Law entitles yu t ne free reprt a year frm each natinwide credit reprting agencies if yu ask fr it Online: www.anualcreditreprt.cm? By phne: 1-800-322-8228, r by mail: Annual Credit Reprt Request Service, P.O. Bx 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281 Inspect yur financial statements Lk fr charges yu didn t make DETECT against identity theft as sn as yur suspect a prblem Place a Fraud Alert n yur credit reprts by calling any ne f the three natinwide credit reprting cmpanies: Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 Experian: 1-800-397-3742
TransUnin: 1-800-680-7289 Review reprts carefully, lking fr fraudulent activity Clse accunts that have been tampered with r pened fraudulently File a plice reprt Cntact the Federal Trace Cmmissin A fraud alert: Lasts 90 days Infrms ptential creditrs f pssible identity theft situatin Allws yu t ask that fraudulent accunts be blcked frm reprting t thers Yu will receive special ntice abut yur rights after alert is placed n yur accunt NEWS FLASH As f September 1, 2007 Indiana residents can place a freeze n their credit reprt fr free! If yu are a victim f identity theft yu have the right. T btain the applicatin and transactin recrds frm businesses where impsters fraudulently btained credit, gds r services If yu ask, a debt cllectr must prvide yu with the creditr s name and amunt f debt After being ntified that the debt is fraudulent, they cannt cntact yu r sell yur debt. What abut identity theft insurance? Wn t deter identity thieves But, can smetimes minimize lsses if an identity theft ccurs Where can yu learn mre: Online: ftc.fv/idtheft By phne: 1-877-ID-THEFT By mail: Identity Theft Clearinghuse, Federal Trade Cmmissin, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washingtn, DC 20580 ID Theft prgram cntributrs: FRM Educatrs, FTC website and varius resurces
13 Things an Identity Thief Wn't Tell Yu Frmer identity thieves have cnfessed sme ways they cllect persnal infrmatin used t steal identities. Attrney General Greg Zeller is sharing these tactics t help Hsiers prtect themselves against identity theft. (Surce: Reader's Digest Magazine). 1. Watch yur back in line at the grcery stre. I ll hld my phne like I m lking at the screen and snap yur card as yu re using it. Next thing yu knw, I m rdering things nline n yur dime. 2. That red flag tells the mail carrier and me that yu have utging mail. And that can mean credit card numbers and checks I can reprduce. 3. Check yur bank and credit card balances at least nce a week. I can d a lt f damage in the 30 days between statements. 4. In Eurpe, credit cards have an embedded chip and require a PIN, which makes them a lt harder t hack. Here, I can duplicate the magnetic stripe technlgy with a $50 machine. 5. If a bill desn t shw up when it s suppsed t, dn t breathe a sigh f relief. Start t wnder if yur mail has been stlen. 6. That s me driving thrugh yur neighbrhd at 3 a.m. n trash day. I fill my trunk with bags f garbage frm different huses, then srt later. 7. Yu thrw away the darnedest things preapprved credit card applicatins, ld bills, expired credit cards, checking accunt depsit slips, and crumpled-up jb r lan applicatins with all yur persnal infrmatin. 8. If yu see smething that lks like it desn t belng n the ATM r sticks ut frm the card slt, walk away. That s the skimmer I attached t capture yur card infrmatin and PIN. 9. Why dn t mre f yu call 888-5-OPTOUT t stp banks frm sending yu preapprved credit ffers? Yu re making it way t easy fr me. 10. I use yur credit cards all the time, and I never get asked fr ID. A helpful hint: I d never use a credit card with a picture n it. 11. I can call the electric cmpany, pse as yu, and say, Hey, I thught I paid this bill. I can t remember did I use my Visa r MasterCard? Can yu read me back that number? I have t be in character, but it s unbelievable what they ll tell me. 12. Thanks fr using yur debit card instead f yur credit card. Hackers are cnstantly breaking int retail databases, and debit cards give me direct access t yur banking accunt. 13. Lve that new credit card that shwed up in yur mailbx. If I can t talk smene at yur bank int activating it (and I usually can), I write dwn the number and put it back. After yu ve activated the card, I start using it. Surces: Frmer identity thieves in Kentucky, Flrida, Indiana, Virginia, and New Yrk. If yu believe yu ve been scammed, yu can file a cmplaint with the Indiana Attrney General s Cnsumer Prtectin divisin nline at www.indianacnsumer.cm r by calling 1-800-382-5516.
SECURITY FREEZE A security freeze, als knwn as a credit freeze, is a cnsumer right prvided by Indiana law. Placing a security freeze n yur credit reprts can blck an identity thief frm pening a new accunt r btaining credit in yur name. If yu activate a security freeze, an identity thief cannt take ut new credit in yur name, even if the thief has yur Scial Security number r ther persnal infrmatin, because creditrs cannt access yur credit reprt withut yur permissin. Placing a freeze will nt lwer yur credit scre. HOW TO PLACE A SECURITY FREEZE Any Indiana resident can request a security freeze. There is n fee fr Indiana residents t place, temprarily lift, remve r request a new passwrd r PIN. Yu must place a freeze with each f the fllwing credit reprting agencies. T place a freeze, either use each credit agency s nline prcess r send a letter by certified mail t: Equifax Security Freeze P.O. Bx 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348 https://www.freeze.equifax.cm/freeze/jsp/sff_persnalidinf.jsp Experian Security Freeze P.O. Bx 9554 Allen, TX 75013 https://www.experian.cm/cnsumer/cac/invalidatesessin.d?cde=freezecenter Trans Unin Security Freeze P.O. Bx 6790 Fullertn, CA 92834-6790 https://annualcreditreprt.transunin.cm/fa/securityfreeze/landing T place the freeze with each credit bureau, yu may be asked t: Prvide yur full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.,) address, Scial Security number, and date f birth; If yu have mved in the past five years, supply the addresses where yu have lived ver the prir five years; Prvide prf f current address such as a current utility bill r phne bill (alternative ptins include a bank, insurance, r credit card statement listing yur full name and address); Prvide a phtcpy f a gvernment issued identificatin card (state driver s license r ID card, military identificatin, etc.) If yu are placing a freeze by certified mail, yu may use the sample letters available nline at www.indianacnsumer.cm/idtheft.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Hw lng des it take fr a security freeze t be in effect? By Indiana law, credit reprting agencies must place a freeze within five business days frm receiving yur freeze request. Within ten business days f receiving yur freeze request, the agencies will send yu a cnfirmatin letter cntaining a unique PIN (persnal identificatin number) r passwrd. Keep the PIN r passwrd secured. Can I pen new credit accunts if my files are frzen? If yu want t take ut a lan, get a new credit card r apply fr a jb r certain services, yu can lift the security freeze fr a certain perid f time r fr a specific party by ntifying the credit bureau accrding t its prcedures. Hw can I remve a security freeze? Indiana residents can have a security freeze lifted fr a specific party, temprarily r permanently, free f charge. T d s, cntact the credit reprting agencies by mail, telephne r nline. Yu must prvide prper ID and yur unique PIN r passwrd. If lifting temprarily, yu must include the party and/r the perid f time yu want yur credit reprt t be made accessible. Hw lng des it take fr a security freeze t be lifted? If the requests are made by telephne r e-mail during nrmal business hurs and under reasnable circumstances, the reprting agencies must lift the freeze within 15 minutes. If the request is made by mail, it will take three business days. Can a creditr get my credit scre if my file is frzen? N. A creditr wh requests yur file frm ne f the three credit bureaus will nly get a message r a cde indicating the file is frzen. Can I rder my wn credit reprt if my file is frzen? Yes. Yu may rder a free annual credit reprt nline at www.annualcreditreprt.cm. Can anyne see my credit file if it is frzen? Yur reprt can still be released t yur existing creditrs r t cllectin agencies acting n their wn behalf. They can use it t review r cllect n yur accunt. Other creditrs may use yur infrmatin t make ffers f credit. Gvernment agencies may als have access in respnse t a curt r administrative rder, a subpena, r a search warrant. *Additinal FAQs are available nline at www.indianacnsumer.cm/idtheft. Indiana Attrney General s Office Cnsumer Prtectin Divisin 302 W. Washingtn St., 5th Flr Indianaplis, IN 46204 1800-382-5516 www.indianacnsumer.cm 2009 Office f the Indiana Attrney General. All Rights Reserved. Z Greg eller Indiana Attrney General
IDENTITY CHECKLIST CHECK THE ITEMS YOU ARE CARRYING WITH YOU. ALSO, CHECK WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION IS CONTAINED ON THOSE ITEMS. WHAT ARE YOU CARRYING WITH YOU? S.S. CARD ACCOUNT NUMBERS PIN NUMBERS CREDIT CARDS NAME I.D. # S.S. # ACC. # ADDRESS OTHER DEBIT CARD(S) ATM CARD(S) STORE CARD(S) INSURANCE CARD/ PRESCRIPTION/ MEDICAL CARD BILLS PERSONAL CORRESPONODENCE VOTER REGISTRATION LOAN INFORMATION RECEIPTS BUSINESS CARDS PASSPORTS BIRTH CERTIFICATES OTHER