Safeguards Against Identity Theft

Ever have a bill show up in the mail for a credit card account you didn’t open? Ever find withdrawals from your bank account you never made? If you have, you may be the victim of identity theft.

According to the FTC, victims of identity theft will spend 175 hours of personal time, more than 14 to 16 months, and spend $800 clearing their name and straightening out their credit record. Here are a few things you can do if you become a victim of identity theft.

The first thing you should do is contact the three major credit reporting bureaus and have them put a fraud alert on your file. This will require any company to call you before opening an account in your name.

Also, you should request copies of your credit reports. Carefully review the reports to detect any further errors or fraudulent activity.

The credit reporting bureaus must provide you a free copy of your credit report if you have been the victim of fraud. After a few months, get new copies of your reports and review them again to ensure no further fraudulent activity has occurred. The following is the contact information for the three major credit reporting agencies:

Equifax, Phone (800) 685-1111, Fraud reporting number (800) 766-0008,  www.equifax.com

Experian, Phone (888) 397-3742, Fraud reporting number (888) 397-3742, www.experian.com

Trans Union, Phone (800) 916-8800, Fraud reporting number (800) 680-7289, www.tuc.com

The next thing to do is take control. If you believe your mail was stolen to get your personal info, notify the postmaster immediately. It is best to receive your mail at a post office box to prevent theft.

If the billing address has been changed on any of your credit card or other accounts, close the account. When you open new accounts, have a secure password placed on the account to be used before any changes are made to the account.

If you think criminals have accessed your bank accounts, close the accounts. Cancel all ATM cards associated with your accounts. When you open new accounts make sure you use passwords for account access. Notify your bank of any pending checks at the time of the theft.

Contact the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213 or www.ssa.gov to review your account and see if the thieves have used your SSN number. Also contact the DMV to see if the thief has attempted to get a driver’s license using your name.

Finally, stay alert. Carefully monitor your accounts for suspicious activity. Take steps to safeguard your information. Avoid entering drawings that ask for a lot of information. There are companies which provide various services related to identity theft protection. For the most part, these companies offer services you can do yourself if you take the time.

If you have been the victim of identity theft, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov , or call 877-382-4357. The FTC enters these complaints into a secure online database called Consumer Sentinel. This database is available to hundreds of law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

You can also contact the Riverside Sheriff’s Department Southwest Station at 951- 696-3000, or after hours 800-950-2444.

With some simple steps, you can prevent most occurrences of identity theft. If you become a victim of identity theft then these steps can help you quickly recover and get your life back on track.