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What I should do to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft
To reduce or minimize the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft or fraud, there are some basic steps you can take.
The most important one is to ask periodically for a copy of your credit report. This is crucial because it is the surest and quickest way to determine if someone is using your name. Your credit report should list all bank and financial accounts under your name, and will provide other indications of whether someone has wrongfully opened or used any accounts in your name. Any discrepancies should send up a red flag for you. Next, be careful about giving out your personal information to others unless you have a reason to trust them. Start by adopting a "need to know" approach to your personal data. Your credit card company may need to know your mother's maiden name, so that it can verify your identity when you call to inquire about your account, but a person who instead calls you does not need to know that information. Also, limit the personal information you have on your bank checks. Be suspicious of someone who calls you on the telephone and offers you the chance to receive a credit card, for instance, and asks you for personal information. Request that he send you a written application form. If they refuse, tell them you are not interested and hang up. If they they send it, review it carefully and determine that it is a legimate offer by checking with the Better Business Bureau. If you're traveling, have your mail held at your local post office or ask someone you trust to collect your mail while you are gone. Do not give out personal information when you are on the telephone in a public place where people can listen in to your conversation. Check your financial information (credit report) regularly, and look for what should be there and what shouldn't. 1. If you have bank or credit card accounts, you should be receiving monthly statements that list transactions for the most recent month or reporting period. 2. If you're not receiving monthly statements for the accounts you know you have, call the financial institution or credit card company immediately and ask about it. 3. If you're told that your statements are being mailed to another address that you haven't authorized, tell the financial institution or credit card representative immediately that you did not authorize the change of address and that someone may be improperly using your accounts. In that situation, you should also ask for copies of all statements and debit or charge transactions that have occurred since the last statement you received. Obtaining those copies will help you to work with the financial institution or credit card company in determining whether some or all of those debt or charge transactions were fraudulent. 4. If someone has gotten your financial data and made unauthorized debits or charges against your financial accounts, checking your monthly statements carefully may be the quickest way for you to find out. 5. If someone has managed to get access to your mail or other personal data, and opened any credit cards in your name or taken any funds from your bank account, contact your financial institution or credit card company immediately to report those transactions and to request further action. 6. Maintain careful records of your banking and financial accounts. Even though financial institutions are required to maintain copies of your checks, debit transactions, and similar transactions for five years, you should retain your monthly statements and checks for at least one year, if not more. If you need to dispute a particular check or transaction your original records will be more immediately accessible and useful to the institutions that you have contacted. "What I should do to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft" All credit report news
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