Thieves who are pros have various ways of getting your information, some of which include:

            Garbage Diving: They go through your trash at a dumpsite

            Skimming: They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card

            Phishing: They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages for you to reveal personal information

            Your address: They divert your billing statements to another location by filling out a change of address form.

            Stealing: They steal wallets, purses, mail, pre-approved credit offers, new checks and tax information.  They can also steal personal information from their employers or employees through bribery.

How to safeguard your information:

            a) Shred financial documents and paperwork

            b) Don’t carry your social security card around or write it on a check

            c) Don’t give your personal information to anyone over the phone, internet or via mail unless you know who it is.

            d) Never click on links sent in unsolicited mails.  They can track you on your home computer’s IP address and gain access to vital information.

            e) Never use obvious passwords

            f) Keep your personal records in a safe place at home or a P.O. Box

Be on the look out for suspicious activity and watch out for these activities:  

            a) Bills which don’t arrive on time

            b) Unexpected credit cards or account statements

            c) Denials for credit for no reason whatsoever

            d) Calls or letters about purchases you did not make.

Things you can do:

            a) Check your credit reports.  Equifax, Experian and TransUnion is required by law to provide you with your credit report free of charge once a year if you ask for it. You can do this by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com, calling 1-877-322-8228 or writing to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

            b) Review financial accounts and billing statements every month

If you suspect fraud on your account, do the following:

            a) Place a “fraud alert” on your credit report.  The three major credit reporting agencies place a 90 day fraud alert on your account which tells creditors to follow certain procedures before issuing you any credit or new accounts.  They also supply you with a free copy of your report for you to check for any fraudulent activity.  The three agencies are:

                                    Equifax             1-800-525-6285

                                    Experian            1-888-397-3742

                                    TransUnion         1-800-680-7289

            b) Close all accounts that have been tampered with immediately.  Call the security department of each of those accounts and follow up in writing.  Use the ID theft affidavit at www.ftc.gov/idtheft to support your written statement.  Ask for verification that they have closed the account and the fraudulent charges were dismissed.  Keep copies of all documents and records of your conversations about the theft.

            c) File a police report just in case some creditors want proof of the crime

            d) Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission by:

                                    Online              www.ftc.gov/idtheft

                                    Phone               1-877-438-4338

                                    Mail                   Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580