There are between 500,000-700,000 victims per year.
What constitutes identify theft?
- Thieves opening bank/credit union accounts in your name
- Thieves completing applications for housing, government benefits, utility services
- Thieves accessing existing accounts: credit cards, checking accounts, utility accounts, savings and investment accounts
How does identify theft occur?
- "Dumpster Diving"?
- "Shoulder Surfing"?
- At Home - your mailbox and garbage cans
- At work - security breaches, unprotected employee files
- "Pretexting" - someone pretending to be you to obtain your private records or information
- Roommates and family members
- Group identity theft (businesses, government agencies and schools
- Theft of computers/laptops
How you can stop identity theft!
- Regularly inspect your credit report. The law requires each of the three major nationwide consumer credit reporting companies- Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion- to give you a free copy of your credit report every year. But you have to ask for it by:
- Ordering it on line at the government-approved AnnualCreditReport.com
- Calling 1-877-322-8228
- Completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O.Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
You will need to provide some basic information including your Social Security number and you may need to provide some personal financial information. If you plan to check your report online, be wary of impostor sites. Be absolutely certain that you have reached AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Do not disclose confidential information(bank account numbers, PIN numbers, SS#) to unknown telephone, U.S. Mail, or internet solicitors.
- Never click on links sent in unsolicited e-mail. Instead type in a web address you know.
- Use firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to protect your home computer, and keep them up to date. OnGuardOnline is a government sponsored site to help you guard against internet fraud.
- Do not use an obvious password like your date of birth, your mother's maiden name, or last four digits of your Social Security number.
- Personal information should be kept in a safe location- not left curbside
- Always ask for the "tissue" copies of carbonized credit/debit card receipts
- Shred/burn all discarded mail offers(including credit card solicitation)
- Shred/burn (do not dump) personal identity information
- Put your wallet on a diet
- Avoid disclosing your Social Security number(financial and government services being the exceptions)
- Check with a government agency before committing to a new financial transaction- unsolicited investment products, unknown loan company or financial institution, or charity
The proactive approach
Method #1 - Your credit report
- Request a free booklet(handout) - Credit Bureaus and Credit Reports
- Order a free report online from www.annualcreditreport.com
- "Fraud alerts" and "file freezes"
Method #2 - Reduce your incoming mail
- Call 1-888-5 OPTOUT (Eliminate credit card offers)
- To stop most solicitations, write to:
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512
Include your name, address and phone number in your signed letter.
Method #3 - Reduce telemarketing calls
- Federal Trade Commission's National Do Not Call Registry 1-888-382-1222 www.DONOTCALL.GOV
If you are a victim
- Contact your/the financial institution/utility/etc.
- File report with local police
- Call Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft Hotline 1-877-438-4338
- If through the mail, speak with the U. S. Postal Inspectors 1-800-372-8347
- If the case involves a bank or credit union, call the Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions at 1-800-965-5235
- When your credit report has been adversely affected, call the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection at 1-800-322-8529
For more information visit the Maine Attorney General's web site at
http://www.maine.gov/ag
