Don’t Be A Victim of Identity Theft

To avoid becoming a victim of identity theft, think of SCAM:

S: Be STINGY with your personal information.  Don’t give out your Social Security number, bank account information or other personal or financial information to unknown persons or companies.

C: CHECK your financial information regularly.  Most banks now offer online banking where you can monitor your account activity daily.  Carefully review your monthly bank and credit card statements for unknown purchases or transactions.  Make sure that you are receiving all of your monthly statements.

A: ASK periodically for a copy of your credit report.  By law, the major consumer reporting companies are required to provide you a free credit report — if requested — each year.  Carefully review this as it will contain information about accounts and major purchases (such as vehicle and bank loans) made under your name.

M: MAINTAIN careful records of your banking and financial accounts.  You should retain your monthly statements and checks for five years.

If you are the victim of Identity Theft:

Immediately put a “Fraud Alert” on your credit report.  This will tell creditors to follow certain procedures before opening any accounts in your name or making changes to existing accounts.  There are three nationwide consumer reporting companies and you need only call one to enact a “Fraud Alert.”

Immediately close any accounts that have been tampered with or that have been opened by someone other than yourself or an authorized representative.

Contact the Social Security Administration if you suspect your Social Security Number is being fraudulently used: 800-269-0271.

Contact the IRS if you suspect that personal or business information is being used in connection with tax violations: 800-829-0433.

Contact the major check verification companies if you’ve had checks stolen or bank accounts set up by someone other than yourself or an authorized representative.

ChexSystems: 800-428-9623
CrossCheck: 800-428-1900
Equifax: 800-437-5120
National Processing Company (NPC): 800-526-5380
SCAN: 800-262-7771
TeleCheck: 800-710-9898

You should also report Identity Theft to the Federal Trade Commission.  By sharing your complaint with the FTC, law enforcement officials nationwide can use it to track down identity thieves.  File your complaint here or by calling 877-IDTHEFT (877-438-4338).