Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 25 October 2002 — Page 30

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25,2002

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Ways to protect your identity

Continued from D1

Ask to see the company’s policy on SSNs. If necessary, take your business elsewhere. Opt-Out Options: Credit card companies, financial institutions and insurance companies may use information in your credit file as a basis for sending you unsolicited offers. This is known as “prescreening.” However, you have a right to opt out of these offers. The toll-free number - 1-888-567-8688 - is the “opt-out” line for the major credit bureaus for “prescreened” offers only. You can opt-out of all creditrelated offers for two years, or permanently. You can also call back later and opt back in. Experian, 800 407 1088 has a service unique to them that removes your name from non-credit offers coming from Experian lists. You just have to tell them your name, address, phone number and whether you want to opt-out of mail offers, phone offers, or both. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is an industry organization that the more reputable direct mailers belong. DMA has three opt-out services for unsolicited mail and phone offers. Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735 and Telephone Preference Service, P.O. Box 9014, Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735. Carefully monitor your mail and credit card bills for evidence of incorrect and/or fraudulent activity. Reconcile your check and credit card statements in a timely fashion, and challenge any purchases you did not make. If you don’t receive your billing statement, notify the company immediately. Generally, victims of credit and banking fraud will be liable for no more than the first $50 of the loss. In many cases, the victim will not be required to pay any part of the loss. The victim must notify financial institutions within two days of learning of the loss, although this is often waived. Even though victims are usually not saddled with paying their imposters’ bills, they are often left with a bad credit report and must spend months and even years regaining their financial health. In the meantime, they have difficulty writing checks, obtaining loans, renting apartments, and even getting hired. Victims of identity theft find almost no help from the authorities as they attempt to untangle the web of deception that has allowed another person to impersonate them. Reducing access to your personal data: Order your credit report once a year from each of the

Inspectors Jack Galvin (laft) and Nina Schwartz of tha U.S. Postal Inspection Service work to prevent and solve Identity theft, a crime that hit 500,000 people last year. (Photo by Wesley Lester)

three credit bureaus and your Social Security Earnings and Benefits Statement once a year to check for inaccuracies and fraud. Minimize the amount of information a thief can steal, do not carry extra credit cards, your Social Security card, birth certificate or passport in your wallet or purse, except when needed. Also photocopy the contents of your wallet, license, credit cards, etc (both sides). This way you will know what is in your waUets and the account numbers and phone numbers. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. Consider using a post office box for bills, credits cards and checks to be delivered. It is also a good idea to have your post office box address printed on your check rather than your home address. When paying bills, do not leave the envelopes containing your checks at your mailbox for the postal carrier to pick up. If stolen, your checks can be altered and then cashed by the imposter. It is best to mail bills and other sensitive items at the post office rather than neighborhood drop boxes. Shield your hand when using a bank ATM machine or making long distance phone calls with your phone card. “Shoulder surfers” may be nearby with binoculars or video camera. Always take credit card, bank and ATM receipts with you. Never toss them in a public trash container. When creating passwords and PINs (personal identification numbers), do not use the last four digits of your Social Security number, your/spouse/children ’ s birth dates, middle name, pet’s name, consecutive numbers or anything else that could easily be discovered by thieves. Memorize all your passwords. Don’t record them on anything in your wallet or purse. Responsible information handling: Carefully review your credit card statements and phone bills, including cellular phone bills, for

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unauthorized use. Do not toss preapproved credit offers in your trash or recycling bin without first tearing them into small pieces or shredding them. They can be used by “dumpster divers” to order credit cards in your name and mail them to their address. Do the same with other sensitive information like credit card receipts, phone bills, etc. A personal shredder can be purchased inexpensively at any retail or office supply store. Demand that financial institutions not use the last four digits of your SSN as your assigned PIN number. Insist that banks remove account numbers from ATM receipts and your check’s carbon copies slips (many have already done so). Also insist they shred aU paper records before discarding them. By not adopting these responsible information-handling practices, they put you and all other customers at risk for fraud. Find out how auto dealerships, department stores, car rental agencies, and video stores company dispose of loan or credit applications and credit card transaction slips. Some have been known to be careless with customer applications. If you suspect that you have become a victim of identity theft, the FTC recommends you immediately do these three things: (1) Contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus and the Social Security Administration to report that your identity has been stolen. Ask that a “fraud alert” be placed on your file and that no new credit be granted without your approval. Equifax, 800-525-6285; Experian (formerly TRW), 888-397-3742; Trans Union, 8006807289 and Social Security Administration (fraud line) 800-269-0271. Putting a fraud alert on your credit file is one of the first things you should do if you suspect someone is trying to open credit accounts in your name. A fraud alert is something that the major credit bureaus attach to your credit report. When you, or someone else, tries to open up a credit account by getting a new credit card, car loan, cell phone, etc., the lender should contact you by phone to verify that you really want to open a new account. If you aren’t reachable by phone, the credit account usually isn’t opened. A creditor isn’t required by law to contact you, even if you have fraud alert in place. Most creditors won’t ignore a fraud alert, however, since they will be responsible for the damages if the account turns out to be fraudulent. With a fraud alert active, you have to be available at either your work phone or home phone to approve opening the credit account. No big deal. It will just require a short delay in your instant gratification and a callback to the credit company authorizing the new account. On the plus side, a fraud alert won’t cause any problems with using your credit card or checking accounts. It’s focused on new credit accounts, not the ones you already have opened. (2) For any accounts that have been fraudulently accessed or opened, contact the security departments of the appropriate creditors or financial institutions. Close these accounts. Put passwords (not your mother’s maiden name) on any new accounts you open. (3) File a report with your local police or the police where the identity theft took place. Get a copy of the report in case the bank, credit card company, or others need proof of the crime later on. Remember being diligent and protective of your information is the best way to avoid becoming identity fraud’s next victim.