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U.S. Dept. of Justice: Identity Theft & Fraud

Social Security Administration: Identity Theft

The Internet has brought many advantages to our lives, such as world-wide communication and connection through services such as e-mail or the World Wide Web. But unfortunately, those same Internet services can sometimes expose you to identity theft or fraud.

What is Identity Theft?
According to the US Department of Justice "Identity theft and identity fraud are terms used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain." (Visit their Web site)

What Can I Do?
Being careful about sharing personal information over the Internet and being attentive to any signs of possible misuse of your personal information are your best defense. Also, you can request a free initial fraud alert to be placed on your credit files by calling any one of the three major national credit bureaus:

Experian
www.experian.com
Experian's National Consumer Assistance
P.O. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013
Phone: 888-397-3742
This site’s fraud alert process is quick, thorough and easy to use. Upon entering this site, the consumer should click on the link “Steps to take if you are a victim of fraud or identity theft.” Next, click on the “Security Alert” link and complete the form. You can view your credit report, including accounts in good standing, credit history, personal information and more.

Equifax Credit Information Services
www.equifax.com
Consumer Fraud Division
P.O. Box 105069
Atlanta, GA 30348
Phone: 800-525-6285
Although this site outlines the steps to activate a fraud alert, through this company, consumers must make a telephone call to actually place a fraud alert on their accounts.

TransUnion
www.transunion.com
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834
Phone: 800-680-7289
Fax: 714-447-6034
The services provided at this site are not free. There is not an online fraud alert process available on this site. Here, users can learn more about identity theft and how to identify, fix and prevent it. To do this, follow these two links: “Personal Solutions” tab followed by the “If you are a victim” tab, to learn more information. Also, you can receive a credit report for $34.95.

Individuals may be entitled to receive a free copy of their credit report no more than one time per year from each of the three major national credit bureaus; however, they need to do so by contacting AnnualCreditReport at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/ (See related information below under "Beware of Phony Credit Report Sites")

*In addition to consumers who are eligible for a free credit file disclosure through the Annual Credit Report Request Service; consumers in some states are eligible for a free credit file disclosure under state law. The following states have laws that make free credit reports available to consumers: Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Vermont.

If you find suspicious activity on your credit reports or have reason to believe your information is being misused, you should file a complaint with the FTC at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft or at 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338). Your complaint will be added to the FTC's Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse, where it will be accessible to law enforcement agencies for their investigations. The FTC also will advise you on further steps to take in the event your information is being used illegally.

Beware of Phony Credit Report Sites
As mentioned above, as of September 1, 2005, you may be eligible to receive free credit reports from the three major credit bureaus (see bureaus listed above), thus fulfilling the requirements of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003. However, bogus Web sites are already being used to trick you into paying instead of receiving them for free. These phony sites are similar to the original; most of them are simply misspellings of the official site. They will ask you to sign up for credit monitoring or a look at your credit score - for an extra fee, of course. Don't be deceived by them!

Here are the correct ways to order your reports through AnnualCreditReport:
By web: https://www.annualcreditreport.com

By phone: (877) 322-8228

In writing: Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. BOX 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

And here are some tips to make sure you won't end up paying for "free" reports:
· Don't use an Internet search engine to find "free credit report." This may bring up false web sites or spam.
· Watch your spelling. The false web sites are often just one letter away from the site you really want.
· If retrieving by the Internet, print or download your credit report(s) immediately. The company may not pull it up a second time for free if the power was accidentally turned off on your computer or other complications occurred after it was shown on your screen.
· After accessing your credit information, close your browser so that no one else can access it.
· Try writing or calling to avoid accessing the wrong website.   To make the most of this free service, don't order all three credit reports at one time. Space them throughout the year. This will allow you to see if anything has changed.   For more information, visit www.annualcreditreport.com .

(Sources for this information include the U.S. Department of Justice, the University of Kansas, and the University of Connecticut.)