What is identity theft?

Identity theft is a serious crime that occurs when someone else uses your personal information, such as Social Security number, credit card number(s) or other identifying information, without your permission, to commit fraud, or one, or more, other crime(s).

How can I avoid becoming a victim of identity theft?

As with any crime, there is no foolproof way to ensure that you will never be a victim of identity theft. However, you can minimize your risk in the following ways:

• Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet, unless you've initiated the contact, or are sure you know whom you're dealing with. Identity thieves may pose as representatives of banks, Internet service providers (ISPs), and even government agencies, to get you to reveal your Social Security number (SSN), mother's maiden name, account number(s), and other identifying information. Before you share any personal information, confirm that you are dealing with a legitimate organization. You can check the organization's website, as many companies post scam alerts when their name is used improperly, or you can call customer service, using the number listed on your account statement, or in the telephone directory.
  
• Don't carry your SSN card, unless you are applying for a job placement (Optional Practical Training or Mandatory Practical Training). Keep it in a secure place at home.
  
• Secure personal information in your home/dormitory room, especially if you have roommates.
  
• Guard your mail and trash from theft:
  
  • Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office, rather than in an unsecured mailbox. Promptly remove newly received mail from your mailbox. If you're planning to be away from home, and can't pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to request a vacation hold.
    The Postal Service will hold your mail at your local post office until you can pick it up. You may also fill out a “hold mail” card at your local post office, indicating the length of time that you wish mail to be held for you.
    
  • To thwart an identity thief who may sort through your trash, or recycling bins, to capture your personal information, tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired charge cards that you're discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail. If you do not use the pre-screened credit card offers you receive in the mail, you can opt out by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567- 8688). Please note that you will be asked for your Social Security number, in order for the credit bureaus to identify your file so that they can remove you from their lists; however, you still may receive some credit offers, because some companies use different lists from the credit bureaus’ lists.
    
• Carry only the identification information, and the number of credit and debit cards, that you'll actually need to use.
  
• Assign passwords to your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information, such as your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SSN or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers. When opening new accounts, you may find that many businesses still have a line on their applications for your mother's maiden name. Use a password instead.
  
• Give out your SSN only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers whenever possible. If your state uses your SSN as your driver's license number, ask to substitute another number. Do the same if your health insurance company uses your SSN as your account number.
  
• Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don't arrive on time. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his/her tracks.
  
• Be wary of promotional scams. Identity thieves may use phony offers to get you to give them your personal information.
  
• Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at school and/or work, as well as any copies you may keep of administrative forms that contain your confidentialpersonal information.
  
• Cancel all unused credit accounts.
  
• When ordering new checks, pick them up at the bank, rather than having them sent to your home mailbox.

How can I tell if I’m a victim of identity theft?

• Monitor the balances of your financial accounts. Look for unexplained charges or withdrawals.
  
• Other indicators of identity theft include:
  • failing to receive bills or other mail, which may signal an address change by the identity thief
  • receiving credit cards for which you did not apply
  • being denied credit for no apparent reason
  • receiving calls, or letters, from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise or services you did not purchase

Although any of these indicators could be a result of a simple error, you should not assume that there’s simply been a mistake and do nothing. Always follow up with the business or institution in question, to find out.

If an identity thief is opening new credit accounts in your name, these accounts are likely to show up on your credit report. You can find out by ordering a copy of your credit report from any of the three credit bureaus listed in Protecting Your Financial Future. Check your report carefully to make sure it is accurate. If you find any inaccurate information, you should also check your reports from the other two credit bureaus.

Note: If your personal information has been lost or stolen, you should check all of your reports more frequently during the following year.

What do I do if I think my identity has been stolen?

• Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus, to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts as well, and all credit reports will be sent to you free of charge.
  
• Close the accounts that you know, or believe, have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the ID Theft Affidavit (see Useful Information) when disputing new unauthorized accounts.
  
• File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.
  
• File your complaint with the Federal Trade Commission or FTC (see Useful Information). The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations.

For more in-depth information on recovering from identity theft and help with specific problems, please visit the following links and websites for the many resources available to those who have been victims of fraud.