|
|
|
Identity Theft Prevention |
|
|
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. It can
occur when a criminal steals personal identifying information such as
name, birthdate, Social Security number or your mother's maiden name
and uses it for their own gain. These thefts can occur through lost or
stolen credit or debit cards, non-secure online transactions, personal
information recovered from your garbage, and most frequently, stolen
mail from your mailbox.
BASIC SAFETY TIPS:
* Don't carry important numbers or passwords with you. *
Memorize your Social Security number. * Don't use your date of
birth as your password. * Never leave receipts behind.
CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS:
* Sign your new credit cards immediately. * Report lost or stolen
credit cards immediately. Make sure you keep the numbers of the issuers
somewhere besides on the back of your card! * Always check your
monthly financial statements carefully against your receipts. *
Review your consumer credit report annually.
MAIL:
* Don't leave mail in your mailbox for more than a day. If you
are gone, arrange to have a trusted neighbor or friend pick up your
mail. * Double check that mailboxes are official US Postal Service
collection boxes before you deposit your mail. * Shred or tear up all
unnecessary documents that have your personal information on them.
ONLINE:
* Never put in a credit or debit card number through a website unless
it offers a secure transaction. * A secure transaction will have a
"padlock" icon at the bottom strip of the web page. Also, the
URL address will change from "http" to "https" on the
page where you input personal data.
DISCOVERING ID THEFT:
* Checking your financial statements frequently and carefully can be
your best first step towards discovering an ID theft. * The sooner you
discover your identity is being used, the sooner you can begin to fight
back to lessen the damage the criminal can do.
REPORTING ID THEFT:
* Call the Sheriff's Office(408) 299-3233 * Call the U.S. Postal
Inspection Service office: If the crime involved U.S. mail. (206)
442-6300 * Call the U.S. Secret Service: If the crime involved
counterfeit credit cards or computer hacking. (206) 220-6800 * Call
the issuing credit card company: if the crime involved credit card
fraud.
Read more Cupertino news - Contribute News |
|
|
