Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your name or sensitive personal information, such as your Social Security number, driver’s license number, credit card or bank account number, telephone number or other identifying information, for illegal purposes and without your permission. Identity thieves may use this information to open bank accounts, credit card accounts, home utilities services, and make major purchases – all in your name. The Information can be used to take over existing accounts or to open new accounts. Identity theft can result in damage to your credit rating, financial loss and denial of credit.
Types of Identity Theft
According to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) ID Theft Data Clearinghouse, the most common types of identity theft in the U.S. are:
- Using or opening a credit card account fraudulently
- Getting loans in another person’s name
- Passing bad checks or opening a new bank account
- Opening telecommunications or utility accounts fraudulently
- Working in another person’s name
How It Occurs
There are several different methods by which criminals can obtain information to use in identity theft cases, however, some of the more common ones they use are:
- They steal wallets and purses containing your identification and credit and bank cards.
- They steal your mail, including your bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, telephone calling cards and tax information.
- They use personal information you share on the internet.
- They get your business or personnel records at work.
- They fraudulently obtain your credit report by posing as a landlord, employer or someone else who may have a legitimate need for and a legal right to the information.
- They rummage through your trash, or the trash of businesses, for personal data in a practice known as “dumpster diving.”
- They buy your personal information from “inside” sources. For example, an identity thief may pay a store employee for information about you that appears on an application for goods, services or credit.
- They may purchase the information from other thieves who have already stolen it.
- They find personal information in your home.
Protecting Your Identity
Although there is no guarantee that your identity will never be stolen, there are many simple steps you can take to minimize the risk:
- Do not give out your Social Security number to people or companies that you don’t know; give your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary.
- Don’t carry your Social Security card with you in your purse or wallet; leave it in a secure place.
- Before disclosing any personal information, make sure you know why it is required and why and how it will be used.
- Shred information you no longer need that contains personally identifiable information and account numbers.
- Secure personal information in your home.
- Change your driver's license number from your Social Security number to a state assigned number.
- Guard your mail from theft. If you’re planning to be away from home ask a trusted friend, neighbor or family member to stop by and pick ip up.
- If you can't have someone pick up your mail, visit the U.S. Postal Service website and request that a vacation hold be placed on your mail.
- Place passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information.
- Never provide your personal or account information over the internet or telephone to anyone asking to verify it; remember that those who already have it (banks, credit card companies, etc.) will never need to verify it.
- Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once a year (it's free!) from Annual Credit Report.
Be wary of promotional scams; if it seems too good to be true, it most likely is!
- Keep your purse or wallet in a safe & secure place at work; always keep your office door or desk locked when you are not there.
If You Become a Victim
Contact Credit Bureaus
Contact the fraud departments of the three major credit bureaus and request that a “fraud alert” be placed on your file. You should also include a statement that creditors must get your permission before any new accounts are opened in your name.
The three major credit bureaus are as follows:
Equifax
1-800-685-1111 (General Inquiries)
P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
To report fraud, call: 1-800-525-6285 or visit:
www.equifax.com
Experian
1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
P.O. Box 2104, Allen TX 75013
www.experian.com
TransUnion
1-800-916-8800 (General Inquiries)
P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022.
To report fraud, call: 1-800-680-7289, or visit:
www.transunion.com
File Police Report
Contact the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Police or your local police department and file a police report. Request a copy of the report to submit to creditors or others who may need it as proof of your theft claim.
Contact the Creditors Involved
Contact all the creditors involved and let them know that your accounts may have been used without your permission, or that new accounts have been opened in your name. If your accounts have been used fraudulently, ask that new cards and account numbers be issued to you. Check your billing statements carefully and report any fraudulent activity immediately. Many banks and creditors will accept the “ID Theft Affidavit” available on the FTC's website to dispute the fraudulent charges.
Contact the Federal Trade Commission
Call the FTC’s ID Theft Clearinghouse toll-free at 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338) to report the theft. Theft counselors will take your complaint and advise you on how to deal with the credit-related problems that could result from the ID theft. The Identity Theft Hotline and the ID Theft website give consumers one central place to report the theft to the federal government and receive helpful information on how to deal with the theft.
Keep Records
Start a file with copies of all your credit reports, the police report, any correspondence you write or receive, and copies of all disputed bills or charges. It is also helpful to keep a log of your conversations with creditors, law enforcement officials and other relevant parties via telephone or emails. Follow up all phone calls in writing and send all correspondence certified, return receipt requested. This will make it easier to track your progress and may prove helpful later on, particularly since identity theft cases can sometimes take several months or even years to resolve.
Additional Resources
Identity Theft Resource Center
Federal Trade Commission - Identity Theft Site
FBI - Fraud Scam Awareness
Massachusetts Attorney General's Office - Consumer Protection
