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Division of Legal Services
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Kevin Potter, Administrator • Biography
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Minimizing Identity Theft
In the course of a busy day, you may write a check at the grocery store,
charge tickets for a concert, rent a car, mail your tax returns, call home on
your cell phone, order new checks or apply for a credit card. Everyday
transactions to which you may never give a second thought are bread and butter
to an identity thief. Each of these transactions requires the sharing of
personal information: your bank and credit card account numbers; your income;
your Social Security number; your name, address and phone numbers.
Maintaining Your Good Name
You can find out what happens to the personal information you provide to
companies, marketers and government agencies. Many organizations now offer
people choices about how their personal information will be used, and may let
you "opt out" of having your information shared with others or used for
promotional purposes.
To find out more, visit the
Federal Trade Commission web site.
Protecting Your Identity
While you can't prevent identity theft, you can minimize your risk.
- Do not carry your Social Security number or provide it to anyone
unless absolutely necessary. Minimize the number of credit cards and other
personal identification cards you carry, as well as the information on
pre-printed checks.
- Guard postal mail from theft. Deposit outgoing mail in post office
boxes instead of sending it from unsecured sites. Remove mail from your mailbox
promptly. Never throw mail with personal information into trash bins at post
offices. Do not leave sensitive mail in vehicles.
- Provide a new address to friends and businesses immediately. Do not
rely on mail forwarding, which may put your mail at greater risk of theft. If
your mail has been stolen, call local police and the postal inspection service
office near you. Contact your local post office for the number.
- Shred pre-approved credit card applications and any mail with Social
Security, bank and/or credit card numbers before throwing it in the trash. If
you are not interested in pre-approved credit card offers, opt out of receiving
them by calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT.
- If you get an email that asks for personal or financial information,
do not reply or click on any links in the message.
- Before divulging personal information to any company, determine how
it will be used and safeguarded, and whether it will be transferred to third
parties.
- Keep track of credit and debit card receipts, and review statements
from banks and credit card companies each month for any unauthorized activity.
- Pay attention to billing cycles and inquire about credit bills that
do not 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/her
tracks.
- The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide
consumer reporting companies -- Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion -- to provide
you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12
months. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228 to request
your report by telephone. Review your reports carefully to ensure the records
are accurate and there are no unauthorized transactions.
If You Become a Victim of Identity Theft
If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, you should take action
immediately.
- Contact the police. File a police report with your local police or
wherever the identity theft took place. Get a copy of the report to show to
creditors and financial institutions.
- Contact the fraud departments of the three major credit bureaus:
You may place a fraud alert in your file by calling just one of the three
companies; which must then notify the other two. An initial fraud alert stays
in your file for at least 90 days. An extended alert stays in your file for
seven years.
- Contact creditors to close any accounts opened fraudulently or
tampered with.
- Obtain a free copy of your credit report and review it. Victims of
identity theft are entitled to free copies of their report, in addition to the
annual free report that is available.
- File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, by calling
1-877-ID-THEFT or going to the FTC's Identity Theft site
- Keep detailed, dated records of all conversations. Follow up each
conversation with a letter sent by certified mail with return receipt requested.
Useful Resources:
Wisconsin Attorney General's ID Theft Brochure [English]
• Spanish • Hmong
Office of Privacy Protection
Federal Trade Commission
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
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