Identity Theft

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Identity theft can occur when an individual obtains personal information, such as your social security number, date of birth, address, and financial account numbers. Once this information is obtained, the thieves will assume or take on your identity, allowing them to illegally purchase items or obtain credit. By following these simple guidelines, your potential for loss due to identity theft can be greatly reduced.

Tips for protecting yourself against identity theft

• Check your credit report on a regular basis to ensure the information is correct
• Immediately tear up (using a shredder is even better!) unsolicited credit card offers
• Never give personal information over the phone unless you initiated the phone call
• Never give a credit card number over the phone unless you have initiated the phone call
• Always be familiar with financial accounts that you currently maintain. Verify statements and other information sent by your financial institution for accuracy

What to Do if You're a Victim of Identity Theft

If you discover that your information or identity has been compromised, act quickly to inform the agencies that can be most helpful to you in stopping the illegal use of your good name and credit. Here are the most important groups to contact:

Credit Reporting Agencies

Notify any of the fraud departments of the three major credit-reporting agencies. A single call to just one agency is all you need to have a fraud alert placed on all three of your accounts within 24 hours. You can also get a free copy of your report.

Equifax Fraud Department	888/766-0008	www.equifax.com
Experian Fraud Department	888/397-3742	www.experian.com
TransUnion Fraud Department	800/680-7289	www.transunion.com

Order additional reports after you've resolved the problem to ensure that they reflect the changes. Check again every six months for at least a year.

Financial Institutions & Creditors

• Contact your credit union, other financial institutions, and your creditors to close the affected accounts and open new ones
• Change all personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords, even on unaffected accounts

Notify Officials

• File an identity theft report in the police jurisdiction that you reside in
• Contact the Federal Trade Commission to report the crime
• Notify your local postal inspector if mail has been stolen. Mail theft is a federal crime
• Notify the Social Security Administration if your Social Security number has been used to gain employment