A Guide to Online Shopping Services
(Reporting Identity Theft)
YOU CAN CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORTS FROM ALL THREE OF THE CREDIT BUREAUS:
EQUIFAX 1-800-685-1111 OR 1-888-525-6285 www.equifax.com
EXPERIAN 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com
TRANS UNION 1-800-888-4213 OR 1-800-680-7289 www.transunion.com
ANNUAL CREDIT REPORT: http://www.annualcreditreport.com or 1-877-322-8228
( IT COSTS ABOUT $9 PER REPORT IF YOUR NOT AN ID THEFT VICTIM – REPORT GOOD FOR ONLY 90 DAYS, CAN BE EXTENDED, BY YOU IN WRITING, FOR UP TO 7 YEARS.
1. GUARD PERSONAL INFORMATION. HAVE ONLY MINIMUM INFORMATION PREPRINTED ON CHECKS.
2. DESTROY ALL PERSONAL PAPERS, SHREDDING ANY WITH SENSITIVE INFORMATION BEFORE PUTTING IN TRASH.
3. REDUCE THE SHARING OFYOUR FINANCIAL DATA BY “OPTING OUT” OF ALL PROGRAMS THAT PERMIT YOUR BANK OR OTHR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO SHARE YOUR DATA WITH OTHER FIRMS. CALL 1-888-567-8688 TO OPT OUT.
IF YOU FIND SOMEONE HAS USED YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, CREDIT CARD OR BANK ACCOUNTS DO THE FOLLOWING TO RESTORE YOUR FINANCIAL HEALTH.
CALL THE ONE OF CREDIT-REPORTING AGENCIES LISTED ABOVE (THEY CONTACT THE OTHER TWO) HAVE THEM PUT A FRAUD ALERT ON YOUR FILE AND ASK FOR YOUR LATEST CREDIT REPORT (THEY ARE FREE IF YOU’RE A VICTIM OF ID THEFT). EXAMINE EACH THOROUGHLY. GOOD FOR 90 DAYS, YOU CAN DO AN EXTENDED FRAUD ALERT, GOOD FOR 7 YEARS.
FILE A POLICE REPORT IMMEDIATELY AND KEEP A COPY TO SHOW CREDITORS WHERE FRAUDULENT ACCOUNTS HAVE BEEN OPENED. ALSO FILE A REPORT ONLINE AT THE FTC AT http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft SCROLL DOWN TO HOT LINKS BOX AND CLICK THE LINK FOR ID THEFT AFFIDAVIT (FORM IS 7 PAGES LONG )WHERE YOU CAN GET ID THEFT TIPS, INSTRUCTIONS, AND FORMS THAT HELP RECOVER FROM ID THEFT. THE AVAILABLE AFFIDAVIT (ID THEFT AFFIDAVIT) WILL HELP YOU REPORT CRIME TO PROPER AUTHORITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS.
FILE A SEPARATE COMPLAINT WITH THE FTC (FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION). DO NOT SEND THE FTC A COPY OF THE AFFIDAVIT. INSTEAD, FILL OUT AND SUBMIT THE DETAILED, ONLINE COMPLAINT FORM. THE FORM IS ON AN SSL (SECURE SOCKETS LAYER) ENCRYPED SITE, SO YOUR INFORAMTION WON’T BE COMPROMISED.
SEND A REGISTERED LETTER TO ALL CREDITORS WHERE FRAUDULENT ACCOUNTS HAVE BEEN OPENED, INCLUDE THE POLICE REPORT AND AN AFFIDAVIT (SEE ABOVE) NOTIFYING THEM OF THE ID THEFT. ASK FOR A LETTER OF RELEASE TO CLEAN UP THE ACCOUNT AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS FRAUDULENT.
IF YOU HAVE YOUR DEBIT CARD OR PIN STOLEN AND WITHDRAWALS OR TRANSFERS OF MONEY APPEAR FROM YOUR ACCOUNT, NOTIFY YOUR BANK WITHIN TWO BUSINESS DAYS OF THE LOSS (OR UNAUTHORIZED USE OF EITHER) THEN YOUR LIABILITY IS $50. IF, MORE THAN 2 DAYS SINCE LOSS OR THEFT BUT YOU NOTIFY THE BANK WITHIN 60 DAYS YOU ARE ONLY LIABLE FOR $500. YOU ARE, HOWEVER, RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CHARGES. GET A NAME AND TIME OF YOUR CALL TO YOUR BANK. YOUR BANK MUST LOOK INTO YOUR CHARGES WITHIN 10 DAYS, IF NOT THEY HAVE TO ISSUE PROVISIONAL CREDIT TO YOUR ACCOUNT TO COVER THE DISPUTED AMOUNT, LESS THE $50 LIABILITY YOUR LIABLE FOR.
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO THE BAD CHECKS WRITTEN, FORGED CREDIT CARD APPLICATIONS THAT ARE IN YOUR FILE AT THE CRED REPORTING AGENCIES. YOU HAVE TO HAVE ID, PROVIDE A POLICE REPORT AND ID THEFT AFFIDAVIT TO DO THIS.
THE 4 W’S TO ASK ANY BUSINESS OR PERSON ASKING FOR YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION: WHY ARE YOU COLLECTING THIS INFO? WHO’S GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO IT? WHAT STEPS DO YOU TAKE TO PROTECT IT? WHAT STEPS WILL YOU TAKE TO DISPOSE OF IT?
OTHER NUMBERS TO CALL:
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 1-800-269-0271 http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/idtheft.htm
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 1-877-438-4338 http://www.ftc.gov/privacy
IDENTITY THEFT RESOURCE CENTER 1-858-693-7935 http://www.idtheftcenter.org
PRIVACY RIGHTS CLEARING HOUSE 1-619-298-3396 http://www.privacyrights.org
ONLINE FRAUD DATA BASE MAINTAINED BY THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION:
www.consumer.gov/sentinel OR www.consumer.gov/sentinel/idchart.htm
GOVERNMENT ID THEFT WEB PAGE: http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft
U.S. DEPT OF JUSTICE: http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html
FBI’S INTERNET FRAUD COMPLAINT CENTER: http://www.ifccfbi.gov
REPAIR CREDIT REPORT: http://www.myvesta.org/pubs/topics/CreditReport.htm
WASHINGTON ATTORNEY GENERAL: http://www.atg.wa.gov/AskAG “Past Columns”
ID THEFT PREVENTION AND SURVIVAL SITE www.identitytheft.org
NATIONAL ASSN. OF CONSUMER ADVOCATES www.naca.net/resource.htm
U.S. DEPT OF STATE PASSPORT SERVICES www.travel.state.gov/passport_services
U.S. SECRET SERVICE www.treas.gov/usss/index.shtml
FOR A COPY OF FTC’S BOOKLET-“ID THEFT: WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO YOUR GOOD NAME”: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/idtheft.htm
OR CALL 1-888-687-2277 FOR SHORTER VERSION, ASK FOR STOCK # D18052
CHECK FRAUD:
CHECKRITE 1-800-766-2748
CHEXSYSTEMS 1-800-428-9623 or 1-800-328-5121
CROSS CHECK 1-707-586-0551
NATIONAL PROCESSING CO. 1-800-526-5380
SCAN 1-800-262-7771 TELECHECK 1-800-366-2425 or 1-800-710-9898
Understand your rights: Go to www.privacyrights.org for more information