The 3 D's of Identity Theft are:
Deter - minimize your risk by making it difficult for thieves to access your personal information:
- Protect your Social Security Number
- Treat your trash and mail carefully-shred
- Change passwords often
- Don't share information with those soliciting you or before checking sources
- Don't carry social security card, passport, or other personal information in your wallet or purse-keep it somewhere safe
- Carefully look over financial statements
- Check your credit report
Detect - Don't wait until the damage is done - be alert for signs of identity theft:
- New accounts in your name that you did not open
- Inaccurate or fraudulent information on your credit report
- Receiving credit cards you didn't apply for
- Being denied credit for no apparent reason
- Getting calls or mail from debt collectors or business about things you didn't buy
- Failing to receive bills or other mail - it could be stolen so look into it
Defend - If you think your identity has been stolen, here is what to do:
- Contact the 3 major credit reporting agencies and place a fraud alert on your account
- Close accounts you know or think have been tampered with or opened by someone else - if you owe money on these accounts, talk with the company and let them know about the identify theft.
- File a complaint with the Federal Trace Commission
- File a report with your local police or the police in the community that the identity theft took place
For more information on identity theft, you can visit http://www.iowaattorneygeneral.org/
BDix
4/24/2007