Identity Theft
IDENTITY THEFT
15 Steps to avoid becoming a victim.
1. Institute your own personal "need to know" policy.
Challenge anyone who claims they need your personal information
then ask about their security policies before deciding to
give the information.
2. Never put your social security number or date of
birth on your checks.
3. Exercise your "Opt Out" option when getting your
driver's licence, have your social security removed from your
driver's license.
4. Cross-cut shred your confidential trash; anything
with an account number, social security number, date of birth,
etc.
5. Never routinely carry your social security card,
passport, or birth certificate with you.
6. Give no personal information to anyone from an unsolicited
telephone call; if you're interested, get their number, hang
up, and independently look up their number and call them back.
7. Refrain from sending personal information through
the e-mail; never reply to unsolicited e-mails and give personal
information. If you have a legitimate business relationship
with the company, call them back and give the information.
8. Protect your computer with a firewall and a virus
protection. Set to update automatically and often.
9. If you have wireless Internet, use the encryption/password
setting.
10. Order your credit reports and least three times
per year (free). annualcreditreport.com
11. Know when financial statements arrive and investigate
missing items.
12. Drop off all your mail at the "Blue Box " or the
post office directly.
13. Have the post office hold your mail when you are
out of town.
14. Discard your old analog cordless phones and purchase
digital or digital spread spectrum (DSS) phones with 900MHz
2.4Hz, or 5.8Hz technology.
15. Photocopy front and back of all cards you carry
in your wallet and store the sheet in a safe place so if the
wallet is stolen, you can notify banks within minutes.
Credit
Reporting Bureaus
Equifax 800-525-6285
Experian 888-397-3742
Transunion 800-680-7289
To Stop preapproved credit card offers:
888-567-8688
Links:
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/oct04/preventidt102104.htm
FBI identity theft information
zonelabs.com Free firewall
annualcreditreport.com
Three free credit reports per year 877-322-8288
truecredit.com Credit monitering
service
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