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Protect and be aware of where your
personal identification is kept and/or who has it. This includes
work, away and even at home. |
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 Keep
your purse, wallet and financial documents (credit cards,
checkbook, etc) on or near your person, or secure them when they
are not in your direct control. This includes work, the gym,
doctor’s office, while visiting (even with family or friends), and
even at your home if you have roommates, service people, visitors
or prospective home buyers when your not home. |
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Limit the number of personal identification and
credit cards that you carry, memorize your PIN numbers and Social
Security number, and do not carry them in your purse or wallet.
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Treat your checks and credit cards as if they
were cash. Cancel any unneeded credit cards. Promptly sign your
credit cards when you receive them and mark on them “Check ID”
near the signature. |
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Do not put your Date of Birth, phone number(s),
driver’s license number, or social security number on your checks.
Also do not use any of these numbers as your password for any of
your financial accounts, email accounts or any other accounts that
need passwords. |
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Never give out personal information about you,
a family member, a friend or a fellow co-worker in response to
unsolicited offers by phone, mail, Internet, or in person unless
you are sure who is requesting the information. ALSO, ask how your
information will be used and if it will be shared with others. Can
you choose to keep it confidential? |
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Shred all discarded paperwork containing any
personal identification information to include but not limited to;
pre-approved credit, loan or mortgage applications, charge
receipts, other receipts, insurance forms, bank and credit card
statements, cash advanced checks, tax bills and documents, utility
bills, old driver’s license or any other documents that may
contain any information about you, your family and/or business
accounts. This prevents “Dumpster Diving” by thieves. |
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 When mailing bills, tax documents, or other
mail containing any personal information, a check, credit card
information, your signature, etc., mail it from a Post Office
collection box or at your local Post Office.
Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after it
is delivered. If you will be gone, even for a day, cancel mail
delivery or ask a trusted person to retrieve your mail. Consider
having new check orders delivered to your financial institution or
Post Office Box where you can pick them up, instead of your
mailbox. |
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When using an ATM machine, gas pump, self check
out or similar device, be mindful of your surroundings. Cover your
hand as you input your PIN number. Thieves may monitor your
activities from afar using binoculars, or by placing a small
camera in a location that can view you input your PIN. This is
often done in conjunction with a device that will obtain the
information from your ATM or credit card when you insert it into
the electronic device. By shielding your input on the keypad, you
will deter if not prevent the thief from obtaining your PIN
number. |
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Review in detail ALL of your monthly statements
for unauthorized use, including but not limited to; credit cards,
bank accounts, utilities, mortgage statement, retirement account,
social security statements, tax statements or any other statements
containing your personal information. Keep track of your billing
cycles to make sure that you receive all of your monthly
statements. A missing statement could mean that an identity thief
has taken over your credit account and changed your address to
cover his/her tracks. |
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If you use the Internet and provide your
personal information, whether it is for purchases, opening
accounts or paying on accounts, CONFIRM that the company or entity
you are dealing with is a legitimate company. Check the “Address”
bar where the http:// is located. Confirm in the address bar there
is an “s” (https://), and a small padlock that is closed or
“locked” in the lower right corner of the web browser. This is an
indication that the website should be a “secure” site. Further,
when dealing with a website, check to see if it lists a phone
number and address for the business so you can check with the
Better Business Bureau or another agency to confirm their
existence and reliability. |
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Be ever mindful of security when using your
computer or accessing the Internet even if you do not use online
financial accounts. If you keep personal data on your computer, a
“Hacker” could access your computer if proper safeguards are not
taken, and they can retrieve your personal information. At a
minimum, you should have up to date Anti-virus protection and a
personal “firewall” installed on your computer. The subscriptions
and definitions for the Anti virus and firewall protection should
be kept current. REMEMBER – if all your passwords, PIN’s, account
numbers, etc. are stored in one location, it only takes one
successful try to take everything. |
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Even if you take every precaution you may think
of and are successful in your endeavors, your identity can still
be stolen if; a financial institution you deal with has a breach
of security such as being “hacked”, an employee of a business you
have used a credit card at keeps your information, an employee at
a financial institution you deal with misuses their position, or
many other ways beyond your control. To this end, you must be ever
vigilant and keep track of your credit history and rating. |
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As of March 1, 2005, you can obtain one free annual
credit report . You can request your free report:
Online:
https://www.annualcreditreport.com
Phone: 1-877-322-8228, or
Mail: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box
105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281 |
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Order and review your personal credit report at
least annually, if not more frequently. It is sometimes beneficial
to order a credit report from each one of the three credit
companies due to reporting inconsistencies that sometimes occur.
The three main credit-reporting companies are Experian, TransUnion
and Equifax. Make sure that each report is accurate and includes
only the activities that you have authorized. |
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ACTIVE DUTY ALERTS FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL – If
you are a member of the military and away from your usual duty
station, you can place an active duty alert on your credit reports
while you are deployed. Active duty alerts are good for one year.
If your deployment is longer, you can place another alert on your
credit report. This will remove you from the credit reporting
companies marketing list for pre-approved credit card reports for
two years unless you ask to be placed back on the list. |
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To opt out of receiving credit offers in the
mail, call: 1-888-5OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688. |
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To be removed from Promotional lists – Contact
the following: Direct Marketing
Association
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Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 643
Carmen, NY 10512 |
Web Site |
Telephone Preference Service
P.O. Box 1559
Carmen, NY 10512
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