For those of you who do, here is some info to consider. For those of you who don't, you might find this useful too! Many organizations recommend you DO NOT pay for Identity Theft Protection as they do not do anything for you that you cannot do yourself. Here are some tips: U.S. citizens need to be aware of measures that can be taken to either prevent or minimize their chances of becoming a victim of fraud. Some of these measures are as follows: · Never give personal information via telephone, mail or the Internet, unless you initiated the contact. · Store personal information in a safe place. · Shred credit card receipts and/or old statements before discarding in a garbage can--If you do not have a shredder, then use scissors. Always cut them into small enough pieces to deter someone from putting them back together. Then, mix up the receipts with other shredded papers before throwing them in the trash. · Protect PINs and passwords. Never use passwords or pin #'s that are easy to figure out (ie dob, last 4 ssn, etc) · Carry only the minimum amount of identifying information. · Remove your name from mailing lists for pre-approved credit lines and tele-marketers. This can be done through the credit reporting agencies by sending them a letter. · Order and closely review copies of your credit report from each national credit reporting agency (Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union). If you stagger these to where you receive one report from each agency, you can receive a free credit report every 4 months. · Request DMV to assign an alternate driver’s license number if it currently features your Social Security account number. · Ensure that your PIN numbers cannot be observed by anyone while utilizing an ATM or public telephone. · Close all unused credit card or bank accounts. · Contact your creditor or service provider if expected bills do not arrive. · Check account statements carefully. · Guard your mail from theft. Everyone who is at threat for fraudulent activity/id theft can place a one year fraud alert on their account. Since ID theft and fraud are running rampid, everyone can put that fraud alert on their account. · BE AWARE! If You are a Victim of Identity Theft · These steps are among those that should be completed by persons who believe they have been the victim of an identity theft: · Contact the fraud departments of the three major credit bureaus to place fraud alerts on your credit file in order to reduce your risk of further victimization. · Obtain and review a current copy of your credit report to determine whether any unknown fraud has occurred--(You will need to more closely monitor your credit going forward as some identity thefts can continue for extended periods of time). · Contact the account issuer(s) where fraudulent accounts have been opened or where your accounts have been taken over--Ask for the fraud/security department and notify them both via telephone and in writing. · Close all tampered or fraudulent accounts. · Ask about the existence of secondary cards. · Contact your local police department and file a police report. · Notify the police department in the community where the identity theft occurred, if it is different from your own. · Obtain copies of any police reports filed. · Keep a detailed log of who you talked to and when, including their title, phone number, and other contact information. · Contact the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Clearinghouse and file an identity theft complaint at Those complaints are utilized by law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, that investigate identity theft. You can also obtain additional information at that website regarding your rights as a victim. · Online identity thefts can also be reported at www.IC3.gov.
