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Identity theft is the top consumer fraud complaint
in America. Up to 900,000 people will become victims this year.
What is Identity Theft?
Identity theft is a crime where someone wrongfully takes and
uses someone else's personal information in a way that involves
fraud or deception, usually as a way to get financial gain.
Experts suggest the following:
- Don’t carry unneeded credit cards, your Social Security card,
your birth certificate or other personal documents in your purse
or wallet.
- Keep track of all your ATM, credit card, debit card and other
receipts. Either store them in a safe place or destroy them
before putting them in the trash.
- Cancel all your unused credit card accounts.
- Keep a list of your credit card account numbers and the companies'
telephone numbers in a safe place so you can cancel them quickly
and easily in case they are stolen or lost. A handy way of doing
this is to use a copying machine. Just be careful where you
leave the hard copy.
- Protect your Social Security number as much as you can. Do
not give it out to any person or company unless you are familiar
with them and you have initiated your communication with them.
If you become an identity fraud victim, take these three
steps immediately:
- Report the identity theft to local law enforcement authorities,
including the police, postal inspectors and Secret Service.
- Contact all banks and others where your name has been used
fraudulently, sending a copy of a police report or other documentation
to show that you are a fraud victim.
- Call the fraud departments of the three major credit bureaus
to get copies of your credit report and to have fraud flags
and statements added to your report saying that all potential
creditors should contact you to verify credit applications.
If the first three steps fail to resolve the problem, we would
add a fourth: Call a lawyer. Credit issuers and reporting agencies
are sometimes slow in responding to complaints from consumers.
The threat of lawsuits can provide some incentive.
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