Protecting Your Identity
by Paul Czarnecki
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| Whether some of your personal information was compromised in the recent hacking incident at UC or in a hacking incident elsewhere, you are not alone. The newspapers have been full of recent incidents involving both high-tech and low-tech theft of personal information. | |
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), approximately a million Americans are victims of identity theft every year. You are a victim of identity theft when someone takes your personal information and uses it to obtain credit or conduct transactions under the guise of your personal information.
Your best weapon against identity theft is to regularly check your credit report. Under Federal law, you are entitled to one free credit report, annually, from each of the three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). If you cycle your reports among the three agencies, you can obtain and review a copy of your credit report every four months.
If you notice suspicious activity on your credit report early, you can mitigate the effects of identity theft, and restore your credit more easily. Unfortunately, many victims only discover such activity when they apply for credit, many months after criminal activity began. For more information on obtaining a free credit report, visit http://www.annualcreditreport.com.
If you become a victim of identity theft, the following are some of the weapons you can use to fight back:
Report the Incident to Law Enforcement - If you notice suspicious activity on your credit report, you should file a report with your local police department. You should also contact your bank and file a complaint with the FTC. The FTC lists other agencies you should contact on its web site at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
Fraud Alerts - You can place a fraud alert on your credit report. A free alert lasts for 90 days. During this period, any potential creditor must take precautions to verify your identity before it can open an account in your name. Extended fraud alerts, lasting a period of seven years, are also available, but are tougher to obtain. You must provide an official identity theft report filed with a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency.
Credit Monitoring Agencies - All three major credit agencies and several other agencies offer credit monitoring services for a fee. If you select one of these services, the monitoring provider will notify you of any inquiries into your credit. The web sites and phone numbers for the three major credit agencies are listed below:
http://www.experian.com (888-397-3742)
http://www.equifax.com (800-685-1111)
http://www.tuc.com (800-916-8800)
The Social Security Administration does not recommend changing your Social Security Number in the event of identity theft. It is a difficult process and creates confusion when employers and banks attempt to verify your personal data for legitimate transactions on your behalf.
For more information on protecting your identity and how to respond if you are a victim of identity theft, visit the following helpful web sites:
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/idtheft.htm
http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub280.pdf
http://www.identity-theft-help.us
http://www.idtheftcenter.org
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