Franklin
County
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In just the first six months of 2001, there were 568 identity theft
victims reported in Missouri. Identity thieves steal personal information,
such as a credit card account number, Social Security number or driver’s
license number. Then they open up accounts in a consumer’s name and run
up charges on the account. Or, they use the personal information to charge
goods and services to a consumer’s existing accounts. In other cases,
they may work, or even be arrested, while using the victim’s name.
The harm to a
consumer’s credit and daily life can be devastating. Victims of ID theft
often have trouble getting new credit cards or loans because of the damage
to their credit ratings.
You can minimize your risk of identity theft by doing the following:
·
Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with
creditors if bills don’t arrive on time.
·
Promptly remove mail from your mailbox. Deposit outgoing
mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office.
·
Put passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts.
·
Minimize the identification information and number of cards
you carry.
·
Do not give out personal information on the phone, through
the mail or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or
know who you’re dealing with.
·
Keep items with personal information in a safe place. Tear
or shred your charge receipts, insurance forms, physician statements, bank
checks and statements, expired charge cards and credit offers you get in
the mail.
·
Give your Social Security number only when absolutely
necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible. Don’t
carry your SSN card with you. Don’t have your SSN on your checks.
Don’t use your SSN on your driver’s license. (You may be issued a
driver’s license number instead).
·
Make sure your credit reports are accurate. Order a copy
from each of the three major credit reporting agencies each year –
Equifax 1-800-685-1111; Experian 1-888-397-3742; Trans Union
1-800-916-8800. The law allows credit bureaus to charge $8.50 for a copy
of your credit report.
Sometimes
an identity thief can strike even if you’ve been very careful about
keeping your personal information to yourself. If you ever become a victim
of ID theft there are four steps to follow:
1)
Contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit
bureaus. Request that a fraud alert be placed in your file, as well as a
victim’s statement asking that creditors call you before opening any new
accounts or changing your existing accounts.
2)
Contact the creditors (credit card companies, phone companies and
other utilities, and banks or other lenders) for any accounts that have
been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
3)
File a report with your local police or in the community where the
ID theft took place. Get a copy of the police report in case creditors
need proof of the crime.
4)
Call the ID Theft Clearinghouse toll-free at 1-877-438-4338 to
report the theft. The Identity Theft Hotline and the ID Theft website at www.consumer.gov/idtheft give consumers one place to report the theft to
the federal government and receive helpful information. Ask about the ID
Theft Affidavit.
For more information about related topics, visit www.consumer.gov, your resource for consumer information from the federal government. Learn more about food, product safety, money, transportation, children, careers and education, and health.
University of Missouri Extension is the local link
between the resources of the four University of Missouri campuses in
Columbia, Kansas City, Rolla and St. Louis; Lincoln University in
Jefferson City; and people throughout the state.
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Franklin County University of Missouri Extension Center
FranklinCo@missouri.edu Last revised: 08/21/08 |
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