Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft

Tips to protect yourself

  • 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.
  • Never put your social security number or date of birth on your checks.
  • Exercise your "Opt Out" option when getting your driver's license, have your social security removed from your driver's license.
  • Cross-cut shred your confidential trash; anything with an account number, social security number, date of birth, et cetera.
  • Never routinely carry your social security card, passport, or birth certificate with you.
  • Give no personal information to anyone from an unsolicited telephone call; if you're interested, get their name, hang up, and independently look up their number and call them back.
  • Refrain from sending personal information through the e-mail; never reply to unsolicited e-mails and give personal information. If you have legitimate business relationship with the company, call them back and give the information.
  • Protect your computer with a firewall and a virus protection. Set to update automatically and often.
  • If you have wireless internet, use the encryption/password setting.
  • Order your credit reports at least three times per year (free).
  • Know when financial statements arrive and investigate missing items.
  • Drop off all your mail at the "Blue Box" or the post office directly.
  • Have the post office hold your mail when you are out of town.
  • Discard your analog cordless phones and purchase digital or digital spread spectrum (DSS) phones with 900MHz, 2.4GHz, or 5.8GHz technology.
  • Photocopy front and back 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
  • Trans Union: (800) 680-7289

PC Protection and Other Websites

Online database search engine

Zabasearch.com

Firewall

zonelabs.com (free)

Spyware Removal

lavasoft.com (free)

Virus Protection

McAffe
Norton
Avast (free)

Credit Reports

annualcreditreport.com
1-877-322-8228
three free reports per year

Credit Monitoring

truecredit.com

Contacts

To remove your name from mail and phone lists:

  • Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735
  • Telephone Preference Service, P.O. Box 9014, Farmingdale, NY 11735

To report fraudulent use of your checks:

  • CheckRite, (800) 766-2748
  • TeleCheck, (800) 710-9898

To stop preapproved credit card offers:

  • 1-888-5-OPTOUT (567-8688)

To report Internet Fraud:

www.ic3.gov

FBI

(816) 512-8200

FTC

1-877-IDTHEFT

Postal Inspection Service

1-314-539-9300

IRS

1-800-829-0443

Social Security Administration

1-800-269-0271

If You Have Been Victimized:

Contact:

  1. Credit Bureaus
  2. Creditors
  3. Financial Institutions
  4. Check Verification Companies