 Identity Theft
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When someone steals your identity, you have serious problems...
Suddenly, you're on the defensive in that
job interview, rental application, or loan approval you thought would be
a breeze.
Unfortunately, you might not know that identity theft has happened
until it's too late.
An identity thief, armed with just a few
pieces of information - credit card number, social security number,
driver’s license number, date of birth - might open an account in your
name, change the mailing address, then run up charges on the account.
You're completely in the dark that the identity
fraud has happened.
If you're a victim
To avoid becoming responsible for debts incurred by
the identity thief, you must prove to each of the companies where accounts
were opened or used in your name, that you didn't create the debts.
How do I know what accounts were opened
fraudulently in my name?
To know what accounts were opened, you
need all three of your credit
reports. Credit reports also
indicate the lenders, landlords, and employers the thief may have visited,
using your name. In just 60 seconds, you can see this information for all 3
of your credit
reports online (merged into a single detailed report to avoid duplications.)
You can also call or write the fraud departments of
the three credit bureaus. In the event of actual fraud, your credit
reports are free (by mail from the three bureaus.)
How do I inform everyone?
 A
new form is available that you can send to all your creditors, as well as
the three credit bureaus. You can get and print it here.
New FTC Identity Theft Report
The Federal Trade Commission has a new report
on identity theft, based on a survey of nearly 5,000 adults.
Did you know...
- Early detection significantly reduces the
damage
- Only 25% of victims report theft of identity to
local police
- Only 22% of victims report idenity theft to a
credit bureau
- Most ID theft starts with a stolen wallet,
purse, or mail
Get the full
FTC Identity Theft Report here!
1.5MB
Personal Information goes public Starting July 1
Perhaps you received email about the major credit
bureaus in the US being "allowed to
release credit info, mailing
addresses, phone numbers, etc., to ANYONE who requests it" after
July 1.
The email says you can call 1-888-567-8688 to opt-out. The credit
bureaus and the FTC want you to know that the letter is a false and
misleading hoax.
Latest information...
New items have been added to our
Texas,
Connecticut, Pennsylvania,
California and
Virginia identity theft pages.
On our news page...
VISA and MasterCard have developed a security
standard called PCI DSS to assure consumers that bankcard transactions
are safe from
identity theft
at restaurants and retail establishments, over the Internet, on the
phone, and through the mail.
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