When ordering checks, specify printing only initials and last name. Thieves will not know if you sign your name with only your first and middle initials. However, your bank will know. List your work phone no. instead of home phone. Print your work address instead of your home address. Do not print your SSN on your checks. If necessary, you can add it by hand.Place contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Copy both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what is in your wallet along with account numbers and phone nos. to call and cancel.Call (1-888-567-8688) to remove your name from lists sold to credit card companies by consumer reporting firms such as Equifax, Experian and Trans Union.Stop solicitations from the Direct Marketing Association's 5,200 member companies. Get forms for $5 at dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist. Or write for free forms to Direct Marketing Association, Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512.Phishing is a type of e-mail scam designed to steal your user ID and password. It uses a fradulent message that appears to be from a trusted business or financial institution often with an urgent request for you to provide sensitive personal information. To thwart phishers:
• Be suspicious of any e-mail with an urgent request for personal financial information.Source: E*Trade
• Do not open attachments or click links in unfamiliar e-mails, as they may place programs known as "keystroke loggers" on your computer.
• Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages or in pop-ups that appear over a legitimate company's web site.
Recovery
Record the credit card companies' toll-free phone numbers and card numbers. If your wallet is stolen, call and cancel your credit cards immediately.Immediately contact the three major credit bureaus:
Equifax P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 (1-800-525-6285) (Southeast USA)
Experian P.O. Box 9532, Allen TX 75013 (1-888-397-3742) (West Coast USA)
Trans Union P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton CA 92834-6790 (1-800-680-7289) (Northern USA)
and notify them 1. You are an identity theft victim.
2. Place a Fraud Alert on your name and Social Security number.
3. Any company that checks your credit will know your info was stolen.
They will have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.
Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. File a police report in the jurisdiction where the theft occurred. This shows credit providers you are initiating an investigation. Write your creditors and advise them to
1. Contact you before opening any new accounts in your name or2. Contact you before changing existing accounts or
3. Extending your account credit limits.
In accordance with the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (12/03), a central no. has been created for consumers to request a free credit report every 12 months. Call 1-877-322-8228 to request a credit report from all three reporting agencies. See if any suspicious activity has taken place.Report the identity theft to Social Security Administration Hotline at 1-800-269-0271.Call the State Division of Motor Vehicles (in SC call 803-737-4000) to see if the office has issued an unauthorized license in your name. If so, tell them you are a victim of identity theft.Report the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission ID Theft Hotline at 1-877-438-4338, online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or by mail at Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC 20580. Visit the FTC ID Theft webpage for the latest scams for ID theft.You may receive a letter claiming to be from your bank and asking for detailed personal and financial data. The info is to be entered on an enclosed phony IRS form to exempt you from reporting interest or avoid tax withholding on accounts. If you receive such a letter, you should
report this to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1-800-366-4484 or write to the TIGTA Hotline, P.O. Box 589, Ben Franklin Sta., Washington, DC 20044-0589. For more information, visit the TIGTA's web site at ustreas.gov/tigta.