Identity Theft
by Steve Lape, ITS

Identity theft is scary and very real. In just a few seconds, someone can steal your name, credit cards, Social Security Number (SSN)—your whole identity.

If you would like to check to make sure that your identity has not been stolen, you can follow the steps below. The Federal Trade Commission maintains a toll-free number, 1-877-IDTHEFT (877-438-4338) for victims of identity theft to report crime and seek advice from telephone counselors.

Tips on Identity Theft Prevention:

Be careful about giving out your personal information. For example, don't give out your personal identifying information (SSN, date of birth, or mother's maiden name) to someone over the phone (or the Internet) when you haven't initiated the transaction. And don't carry your Social Security card (or your children's SSNs) in your wallet.

Put passwords (NOT your mother's maiden name) on credit cards and bank accounts to make it harder for an ID thief to make changes to or "takeover" your account.

Order your credit reports once a year from each of the three national credit bureaus. That way, you're likely to catch any identity theft before it gets out of hand—and not when you're waiting for a mortgage application to be approved.

The next time you order checks, have only your initials (instead of your first name) and your last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks.

Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED."

When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.

Put your work phone number on your checks instead of your home phone number. If you have a post office box, use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a P.O. box, use your work address. Never have your SSN printed on your checks. You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.

If you discover that your identity has been stolen, the Federal Trade Commission advises the following steps:

Call the fraud departments of all three credit bureaus. Ask them to put a "fraud alert" on your file (this tells creditors to call you before they open any more accounts in your name). Also, ask for a copy of your credit report, and ask the credit bureau to remove any fraudulent or incorrect information.

1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

Contact the credit providers involved; i.e., the bank or credit card issuers who opened the fraudulent account or permitted access to your existing account. Immediately close all affected accounts.

Contact your local police and ask to file a report. Even if the police can't catch the identity thief, having a police report can help you in clearing up your credit records later on.

For additional information, look for the posters distributed around campus, stop by ITS and ask for a Stop, Think, Click brochure, or visit http://www.aug.edu/its/news.html and look for the announcement for OnGuard Online, a government site that deals with secure computing and identity theft.

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