Identity Theft is defined as stealing another person's personal identifying information to fraudulently establish credit, run up debt or take over existing financial accounts.
What Can You Do to Protect Yourself?
Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus at least once a year.
Choose to "opt-out" of mailing lists maintained by the credit bureaus and by the Direct Marketing Association.
Carry with you only the identification information that you actually need.
Do not give out personal or account information over the phone, through the mail or over the Internet, unless you have initiated the contact.
Shred your account statements, receipts and pre-approved credit offers.
Protect your mail. Deposit outgoing mail at the Post Office and promptly remove mail after it has been delivered.
Review all of your account statements on a timely basis and promptly notify the institutions of any discrepancies.
What Can You Do If You Are a Victim?
Contact the fraud department of the major credit cand check/debt bureaus to place a fraud alert or victim's statement on your file.
Provide the institutions where the fraudulent accounts have been opened with an ID Theft Affidavit and request that they close the accounts immediately.
File a report with the applicable law enforcement agency and maintain a copy of the report.
Contact any other institution where the fraud may spread, such as financial institutions, investment companies or utility companies.
Contact
Call 1-888-567-8688 to opt out of the credit bureaus' prescreened credit card offers
