Stopping Identity Theft

As an Internet merchant whose website accepts credit cards for payment, I consider myself very well informed on consumer issues involving credit card fraud, theft and abuse on the Internet, but I was absolutely shocked to hear how many Americans are victims of Identity Theft which is a far more horrific crime. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2002. Other sources estimate that about 27 million Americans were victims of this crime in the past 5 years. That's nearly 1 out of every 10 Americans having their credit ruined and their lives disrupted.

Victims of identity theft have their lives thrown into chaos as they are hounded by creditors, virtually ignored by local police departments and their credit rating is destroyed. On average, it will take victims over two years before they will have repaired their reputations and restored their credit rating. And even though most bank accounts and credit cards have some built-in protections, the average victim of this crime will spend nearly $3000.00 to repair the damage. One can only imagine how frustrating it gets to be during this time when victims are faced with requests for multiple forms of identification whenever they use their credit cards or try to write a personal check. Local police departments seldom put any real investigative efforts into this crime because the amounts of money involved in each individual transaction is often below the threshold for a felony.

David Lazarus, a respected columnist for the Business section of the San Francisco Chronicle, had his identity stolen and discussed his three-year ordeal in a series of columns for the paper. Lazarus related how he only discovered the fact the identity theft when he applied for a home loan. His tormentor had been abusing credit card accounts in Lazarus' name for over a year. And the thief was arrested only because Lazarus took matters into his own hands and, after several months of investigating, he located the man himself on the East Coast and led the police to his doorstep.

There are some simple steps you must take to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.

Treat your Social Security Number like your most prized possession. Your Social Securuty Number is the key to your financial records and credit. Your employer needs it and your bank needs it, and credit card companies need it, but nobody else should have access to this number unless their is a specific law requiring it. Landlords will often request prospective tenants to include this number for their background check, but you may not actually be required to do so. The bottom line is that you should always be sure you know the authority by which any person or company demands your Social Security Number. Never put your Social Security Number on your checks or on any document that you carry with you on a routine basis.

Before you give your personal information to anyone, ask them how the information will be used. Take whatever steps you can to "opt out" of any programs that will allow any bank or other company to share your information with other companies. Banks and credit card companies are routinely making changes to their privacy policies now so that by continuing to do business with them you are also automatically granting them the right to share your personal information unless you specifically demand that they refrain from doing so. So the next time you see one of those little booklets in your monthly bill or your account statement, don't just toss it in the trash with the rest of the paper debris, check for privacy policy changes or a new opt-out list. It might be your only chance to stop another source of junk mail and telemarketing calls.

Never carry credit cards or forms of identification that you won't need that day. No matter how convenient it might seem, having all of your credit cards in your wallet or purse just means you are more vulnerable to this crime should they be lost or stolen. I've been guilty of violating this rule, but I've gotten religion about it now. For an everyday card, use one of the new debit cards that take money directly from your checking account rather than a regular Visa or Mastercard. That way there's a limit to the amount of money the crook will have access to and you won't be risking your credit record. Just be sure your bank offers the same theft and fraud provision for your debit card that they do for regular credit cards. If your bank doesn't offer this protection, switch banks. Its too important to leave yourself vulnerable to this problem for the sake of some minor convenience. And look on the bright side - having your debit card handy might reduce the number of times you have to pay an ATM fee for a cash withdrawl.

Order a copy of your credit report once or twice a year and check to make sure there are no loans or credit card accounts that you don't recognize as being your own. The sooner you detect this crime, the better your chances are for reasonable recovery. Make a list of all of your credit card account numbers with the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the issuers so you can contact them immediately if you detect something is amiss. You'll find the telephone numbers of your credit card issuer on the back of the card itself. You can order a free credit report every 12 months from the major credit reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - from the official U.S. Government-sanctioned website annualcreditreport.com. There are many other sites that offer a "free credit report," including the reporting agencies own sites, but they will usually require that you sign up for a trial version of their services or otherwise allow them to send marketing materials to you. You do not need to pay for this service. The agencies are required by law to provide you with your report at no cost every 12 months under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The site above is specifically set up to provide a no-strings method of getting your credit information. You may have to pay a fee to see your credit score number, which will vary from one service to the next. Checking your own credit report will not affect your credit score. More information is available from the Federal Trade Commission site. and FTC Credit Information.

Keep your important documents in a safe place. No, not in a file on your computer. Home floor safes for the home are an excellent investment. They are excellent protection from fire damage, and will often deter a burglar. Be sure to get one that is rated for fire protection up to 1400 degrees for one hour which is the minimum necessary to protect paper documents from a house fire. I used to sell these home safes in a department store many years ago, and hardly a year would pass without a customer coming in and thanking us because the safe had protected their valuables from fire or theft. They're available in many department stores like Sears, and home improvement stores like Home Depot for under $200.00.

Destroy all documents that contain personal information. This includes credit account billing statements, old bank statements, receipts, insurance forms, and credit applications you receive through the mail. Buy a good home paper shredder and use it. The desktop models are usable, but I prefer the larger ones that sit on top of a wastepaper basket. The one we use was about $25.00 from Office Depot. I just did a Google search for "home paper shredders" and there were dozens of listings to choose from, so don't put this off any longer.

Look at Federal Trade Commission's Guide for Victims of Identity Theft and you'll get some excellent advice.

If you've been a victim of identity theft, in addition to following the advice you'll find on the FTC's webpage mentioned above, you should also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by contacting the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline by telephone: toll-free 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338); TDD: 1-866-653-4261; by mail: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. This helps the government track patterns of abuse, develop more legal and procedural solutions, and to see that the more flagrant criminals are put in jail.

Credit Reporting Agencies

These are Fraud Report numbers for the three major credit reporting agencies in the United States. Banks and other companies refer to one or more of these agencies to determine your creditworthiness whenever you apply for a loan or a credit card.

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
Experian: 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289