If you think identity theft happens only to other people, think twice.
I woke up to that the reality that anyone could be a victim of identity theft when my son called and told me he was notified of suspicious activity on his credit card. He lives in California and the charges occurred in Washington, a state he had never visited before.
Identity theft happens when someone uses your personal information without your permission to commit a fraud crime. An identity thief needs only a small amount of personal information to make the crime happen. Often your first hint that your identity was stolen is when you start to get calls about overdue bills. When the calls stop that does not mean your identity has been restored. The thief may just be changing the address to where the bills are sent when he uses your credit card.
Identity theft refers to the theft of name badges, driver's licenses, social security numbers and other financial information.
If your social security number is stolen, you can place a "initial fraud alert" by calling one of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
If the theft involves your driver's license or other government ID, call the agency immediately to cancel the document and get a new one issued.
To help thwart identity theft use internet passwords with random letters and numbers. Using your mother's maiden name or even a pet's name is insecure.If you discover that you are an identity theft victim, call your credit card companies and cancel your credit cards immediately. Call your bank and discuss whether you should close any accounts there as well.
You can also monitor your personal credit report to spot incorrect information. Remember that fraudulent activity may not show up right away so it is good to monitor often. Here is one website where you can obtain a free credit report:
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
Keep an eye out for missing bills and be suspicious if you receive a credit card you did not apply for. Another warning sign of identity theft is denial of a new credit card you applied for or more stringent terms on a new card.
Check out the Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft website for valuable information:
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
Identity theft is definitely on the rise. In 2003 over 198,000 identity fraud complaints were issued. According to the latest government report in December 2005, identity theft complaints rose almost 30% to 255,000 complaints were made. In fact, identity theft complaints represented 37 percent of the 686,683 complaints filed.
Identity theft will probably never go away. Be smart and take precautions now to avoid a horrible experience in the future.
Greg Cryns is the founder of McHenry Online, http://www.mchenryonline.com, a website focused on information about McHenry County, Illinois. He is also the owner of http://www.getshredders.info where you can get information about paper shredders.
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