Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose sensitive personal information has been stolen can spend substantial time and money cleaning up the mess criminals have made of their good name and credit record. The consequences could be lost job opportunities or damaged credit. Some victims have even been arrested for crimes they didn’t commit! Consumers leave a goldmine of information for an identity thief with everyday transactions such as writing a check, renting a car, applying for credit or charging tickets to a ball game. During many transactions, you reveal information like your bank and credit card account numbers; your income; your Social Security number; or your name, address and phone numbers. Such stolen information can be used without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft.
HOW ID THIEVES GET YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
Skilled identity thieves use a variety of ways to gain access to your personal information. For example, they may: - Steal
your wallet or purse. - Steal
your mail. - Complete
a “change of address form” to divert your mail to another location. - Rummage
through your trash or public trash dumps. - Collect
your information through e-mail or phone, sometimes by pretending they’re from a legitimate company and claiming that you have a problem with your account.
Remember: Banks will never request confidential account information over the phone or through e-mail.
HAS SOMEONE STOLEN YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
If you fear that someone has stolen your personal information, here are some indications that identity theft may have occurred:
- Failing
to receive bills or other mail on time. - Receiving
credit cards for which you did not apply. - Denial
of credit for no apparent reason. - Receiving
calls from debt collectors or companies about products or services you didn’t buy.
Precautions you should take:
- Carefully
monitor the balances and statements of all your financial accounts. - Look
for unexplained charges or withdrawals. - Place
passwords on all of your financial accounts. - Limit
the number of credit cards or other identifying information that you carry. - Tear
or shred any identifying information before throwing it away. Don’t forget pre-approved credit offers, charge receipts, checks and bank statements and insurance forms. - Update
the virus protection software on your PC regularly; do not open files from strangers or companies you don’t know. - Use
a “wipe” utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive before disposing of a computer.
David L Conrad
President and CEO
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