IDENTITY THEFT

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IDENTITY THEFT
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WantedPolice,FBI,Secret Service,FTC

• This man can ruin your good name and your life.
• Be Alert!

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Fastest Growing CrimeIn America

• 43 of complaints received by the FTC in 2002
  were Identity Theft
• FTC projects 700,000 victims in 2003
• Over 1,000 cost to victim
• Responsibility of the victim
• Recovery can take up to 5 years
• Recent case involved 30,000 victims

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Maintain a Vigilance

• Dont Give out personal information
• Deposit outgoing mail in post office approved
  pick up collection points
• Dont carry SSN card - secure it
• Remove SSN from drivers license and health
  insurance card
• Carry only the identification and credit cards
  you will need

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Minimize Your RiskWhat can you do Today

• Order a copy of your credit reports from all 3
  credit bureaus Equifax-Experian-Trans Union
• Place password on your accounts
• Secure personal information in your home
• Shred all information before putting it in trash.
  For under 35.00 it is the best identity theft
  protection you can buy

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Guard Against Fraud

• Sign new cards when received
• Keep your account numbers in a confidential place
• Check cards periodically to be sure that none are
  missing
• Destroy and dispose of copies of receipts,
  airline tickets, travel itineraries and any thing
  else that displays account numbers

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Guard Against Fraud

• Carry your cards separately from wallet
• Keep your eye on your card during the transaction
  and get back immediately
• Void incorrect receipts
• Save receipts to compare with billing statement
• Open bills promptly and reconcile accounts
  monthly
• Report any questionable charges immediately in
  writing (registered mail)

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Don't

• Lend your cards to anyone
• Sign a blank receipt. When you do sign a receipt
  draw a line through any blank spaces above total
• Put account number on a post card or the outside
  of an envelope

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How Identity Theft Occurs

• They find personal information in your home
• They use personal information you share on the
  internet
• They obtain information from the work-place
  business record theft employee, patient,
  student

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• They steal wallets and purses containing your
  identification
• Remove mail from your home mail box
• Fraudulently obtain credit report
• Rummage through your trash (dumpster diving)
• Scam from E-mail ( E- stands for everyone)

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How Identity Thieves Use Your Personal
Information

• Call credit card issuer and changes address to PO
  Box.You dont receive your statements
• Open new credit card account
• Establish phone or Wireless services
• Open a bank account in your name
• File bankruptcy in your name for his debt
• Counterfeit checks or debt cards drain accounts

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ATM or Debit Cards

• Account number over cell phone
• Void all blank spaces
• Destroy account numbers on discarded cards by
  cutting across account numbers
• Review all monthly statements
• Dont carry your pin number on person
• Dont expose your pin number when entering number
  at check out register

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To Share or Not?

• Why do you need my SSN?
• How will my SSN be used?
• What law requires me to give you my SSN?
• What will happen if I dont give you my SSN?
• The decision is yours

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Choosing to Share Personal Information

• Pre-screened credit offers
• Marketing lists credit bureaus
• Direct Marketers
• Be sure you know who and why you are giving the
  information to
• Opt-out numbers
• Be alert to incoming phone calls that ask for
  personal information

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If you Are A victim

• Identity Theft is a victims crime

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Contact the Fraud Department of the Three Credit
Bureaus

• Request a fraud alert be placed in your file as
  well as a victims statement asking that
  creditors call you before opening any new
  accounts or changing existing information
• Contact creditors and close the accounts that
  you know or believe have been compromised or
  opened fraudulently
• File a Police Report with your local police or
  the community where the identity theft took
  place.

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Steps to take

• Complete Fraudulent Account Statements for
  creditors
• File ID Theft Affidavits with creditors
• Order copy of your credit report
• ATM Card
• Checks

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Steps to take

• Contact all credit card accounts
• Request replacement cards be sent with new
  account numbers
• Request new UNIQUE password and pin
• Contact all major check verification companies

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Important Contacts

• File complaint with FTC (Federal Trade
  Commissions hot line (1-877-438-4338)
• Call Check verification companies Tele Check,
  Certegy Inc, International Check Services. ( See
  hand out for numbers) Request that retailers
  who use their data base do not accept checks in
  your name.
• Call (SCAN) 1-800-262-7771 to find out if the
  Identity thief has been passing bad checks in
  your name

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Identity Theft

• Dont let Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name
• Have control
• Use caution
• Ask questions

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Computer Security

• Use a secure browser that has soft ware that
  encrypts or scrambles your information look for
  lock icon
• Confirm request for renewal or upgrade of you
  Internet service provider

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• Update your virus protection regularly to prevent
  introducing program code that could cause your
  computer to send out files or other stored
  information
• Do not download files or click hyperlinks from
  people you dont know that would expose your
  system to a virus or program that could hijack
  your modem

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• Install firewall program especially if you use a
  high-speed internet connection which leaves your
  computer connected 24 hours a day this will
  allow you to stop uninvited guests from accessing
  your system

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Security in Work Place

• Have a written privacy policy
• Lock and limit access to files
• Guard the SSN. Dont use on
• Insurance cards
• paycheck stubs
• time sheets
• parking permits
• client reports
• training report rosters