It doesn’t matter how cautious and careful you are, there’s a potential for identity theft. Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information with the intent to commit fraud or theft. Here are a few precautions and tips for dealing with identity theft.
Identity theft involves the compromising of your name, address, birth date, Social Security Number, and even your mother’s maiden name - personal information generally used to obtain a loan, credit card or financial account.
A few ways to protect your identity:
1. Don’t give out personal information to strangers or over the Internet. Guard your personal information very carefully. The Internet has become a favorite target of identity theft.
2. Watch your mailbox. Don’t place outgoing payments in your mailbox; use a post office collection box. When possible, remove your mail from the mailbox immediately after delivery.
3. Protect your credit cards. As soon as a new credit card arrives sign it immediately. Leaving it unsigned means someone else has the opportunity to sign it for you. Never loan your debit card to anyone and never share your pin numbers. Don’t use birthdays, anniversaries, phone numbers, sequential numbers or house numbers as a pin number.
4. Don’t keep private information in your wallet. Memorize your Social Security Number so you don’t have to carry it with you. Don’t carry receipts from the bank, tax papers or other identifying information in your purse. Don’t leave receipts at gas pumps, ATM machines or on store counters. In fact, it is best to shred your receipts once you are finished with them.
How to deal with identity theft:
1. Take immediate action. Call your bank, financial institutions, and credit card companies and let them know that you suspect you’ve had your identity stolen. Ask them to contact you immediately if anyone tries to use your accounts or attempts to open a new account in your name.
2. Order copies of your credit reports from all the credit bureaus. Check to see if there have been any “inquiries” lately on your credit report. You’ll be looking for any unauthorized name or address changes and that there aren’t fraudulent accounts being set up in your name.
3. Contact all companies with whom you have accounts. This includes, phone, cable, electric, mortgage, etc. You’ll want to speak to the securities and frauds department. It is important to contact credit card and other companies in writing because this is the consumer protection procedure for resolving errors on statements and billings.
4. File a police report with either your local police or the police jurisdiction in which the theft occurred. Get a copy of the police report for your records and in case your credit card company wants proof of a crime.
I had my wallet stolen several years ago. It had all my personal information including my Social Security Number and driver’s license. It involved getting all new identification, bank accounts, credit cards, etc. I learned too that it’s a good idea to have a copy of your birth certificate and all important documents locked in a secured and safe location just in case you need them. I needed two pieces of identification including one with a picture to get my replacement driver license and open new bank accounts.
At times like this I think of the Scout motto, “Be Prepared.”
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