William Penn Life, 2003 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2003-06-01 / 6. szám
MoneywiSe SSN or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers. When opening new accounts, you may find that many businesses still have a line on their applications for your mother's maiden name. Use a password instead. Secure personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help or are having service work done in your home. Ask about information security procedures in your workplace. Find out who has access to your personal information and verify that records are kept in a secure location. Ask about the disposal procedures for those records as well. Maintaining Vigilance Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once a year. Yes, we are repeating ourselves, but only to emphasize the importance of this step. By checking your report on a regular basis you can catch mistakes and fraud before they wreak havoc on your personal finances. Don't underestimate the importance of this step. One of the most common ways that consumers find out that they're victims of identity theft is when they try to make a major purchase, like a house or a car. The deal can be lost or delayed while the credit report mess is straightened out. Knowing what's in your credit report allows you to fix problems before they jeopardize a major financial transaction Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you've initiated the contact or are sure you know who you're dealing with. Identity thieves may pose as representatives of banks, Internet service providers (ISPs) and even government agencies to get you to reveal your SSN, mother's maiden name, account numbers and other identifying information. Before you share any personal information, confirm that you are dealing with a legitimate organization. You can check the organization's website as many companies post scam alerts when their name is used improperly, Money Links For more information on identity theft and what you can do to protect yourself from becoming a victim, log onto «♦ www.consumer.gov/idtheft For a copy of your credit report, contact each of the following: Equifax www.equifax.com Call: 1-800-685-1111 or write: P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 *♦ Experian www.experian.com Call: 1-888-397-3742 or write: P.O. Box 2104, Allen, TX 75013 ■+ TransUnion www.transunion.com Call: 1-800-916-8800 or write: P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022. or you can call customer service using the number listed on your account statement or in the telephone book. Guard your mail and trash from theft. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office, rather than in an unsecured mailbox. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox. If you're planning to be away from home and can't pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to request a vacation hold. The Postal Service will hold your mail at your local post office until you can pick it up or are home to receive it. To thwart an identity thief who may pick through your trash or recycling bins to capture your personal information, tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired charge cards that you're discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail. You can minimize your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft by following these additional tips: • Before revealing any personally identifying information (for example, on an application), find out how it will be used and secured, and whether it will be shared with others. Ask if you have a choice about the use of your information. Can you choose to have it kept confidential? • Don't carry your SSN card; leave it in a secure place. • Give your SSN only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible. If your state uses your SSN as your driver's license number, ask to substitute another number. • Carry only the identification information and the number of credit and debit cards that you'll actually need. • Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don't arrive on time. A missing credit card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks. • Be wary of promotional scams. Identity thieves may use phony offers to get you to give them your personal information. • Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work. Computer safety You may be careful about locking your doors and windows, and keeping your personal papers in a secure place. But, depending on what you use your personal computer for, an identity thief may not need to set foot in your house to steal your personal information. SSNs, financial records, tax returns, birth dates, and bank account numbers may be stored in your computer - a goldmine to an identity thief. The following tips can help you keep your computer and your personal information safe. Update your virus protection software regularly, or when a new virus alert is announced. Computer viruses can have a variety of damaging effects, including introducing program code that causes your computer to send out files or other stored information. Be on the alert for Continued on Page 20 Williu Pen Lilt, June 2003 5
