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Identity Theft: Dont Be A Victim!

Moments after stepping out of the taxi,
Rachel plunged through the entranceway of theIdentity thieves will then take the personal
hotel lobby eager to put behind what had beeninformation they have obtained about you and
a terribly exhausting day. Flight delays dueuse  it  in  a  number  of  different  ways:
to weather had caused her LAX-MDW-BWI trip to
take nearly eleven hours to complete. All she* They will call your credit card issuer and,
could think of was taking off her shoes topretending to be you, ask to change the
relieve her aching feet and dipping them intomailing address on your credit card account.
soothing,  warm  bath  water.The imposter then runs up charges on your
account. Because your bills are being sent to
The line at the front desk was mercifullythe new address, it may take some time before
short. One clerk caught Rachel's attentionyou  realize  that  there  is  a  problem.
and signaled her forward she gave him her
reservation information and then dug out her* They open a new credit card account, using
American Express card for payment. As heyour name, date of birth and SSN. When they
stepped away to verify its authenticitysue the credit card and don't pay the bills,
Rachel's  eyes  surveyed  the  lobby.the delinquent account is reported on your
credit  report.
"They've updated everything since I was last
here", she thought. Her concentration,* They establish phone or wireless service in
clouded by fatigue, was now on the missionyour  name.
style tables, chairs, and light fixtures,
which had replaced the heavy, wooden* They open a bank account in your name and
furniture previously occupying the lobby.write  bad  checks  on  that  account.
"Here is your card and room key, ma'am," the
clerk interrupted minutes later. Quickly,* They file for bankruptcy under your name to
Rachel stuffed her card back into her wallet,avoid paying debts they have incurred under
gathered her bags and whisked away to heryour  name,  or  to  avoid  eviction.
room.
* They counterfeit checks or debits cards,
Rachel was a victim of identity theft thatand  drain  your  bank  account.
night, but did not know it at the time. Had
she kept a watchful eye on what her clerk was* They buy cars by taking out auto loans in
doing instead of studying the lobby, sheyour  name.
might have noticed him switching cards on
her. At the very least, she would have seenFortunately for Rachel, American Express
that the card handed to her beneath her roomcovered her losses. Although she didn't find
key  was  not  her  own.out about the theft until she reached her
home in California, American Express
Identity theft is an exploding problem thatsuspended her account when a number of
has increased exponentially in thissuspicious charges appeared and she couldnt
technological age. Particularly since thebe reached by them to verify the charges.
early 1990s thieves have been takingTheir fraud department left a message on her
advantage of what we would consider every dayphone answering machine instructing her to
transactions: writing a check at the grocerycall them and, when she did, Rachel was
store, ordering merchandise via the internet,notified that someone else was using her
applying for a credit card, using your cellcard. When she explained that she had the
phone,  and  more.card in her possession, she checked her purse
and  found  a  card for someone else instead.
Each transaction requires you to share
personal information: your bank and creditVisa, MasterCard and American Express absorb
card account numbers; your income, yourthe cost of fraud as long as they are
Social Security Number (SSN); and your name,notified by the consumer [certain
address,  and  phone  numbers.restrictions may apply check with your card
issuer for specific details]. Had Rachel used
An identity thief will lift some piece ofa debit card, the story might have been much
your personal information and appropriate itdifferent. Unlike a credit card, the debit
without your knowledge to commit fraud orcard takes a direct hit on your bank account,
theft. One of the most common methods is whenmeaning that you will have to absorb the
the identity thief uses your personalloss.
information to open a credit card account in
your  name.So, all is well with Rachel, right? Sure,
American Express overnighted a new card with
The Federal Trade Commission is the arm ofa new account number for Rachel to use on her
the federal government tasked with overseeingnext trip, but the problem could very well
the problem of identity theft. A specialhave continued and deepened had she not taken
hotline number (1-877-IDTHEFT) was createdthree more steps recommended by the Federal
for consumers to call to place yourTrade  Commission:
information in a database which is accessible
with other law enforcement agencies andFirst, contact the fraud departments of each
private entities, including any companiesof  the  three  major  credit  bureaus.
about  which  you  may  complain.
Tell them that you are a victim of identity
Additionally, an ID Theft Affidavit a formtheft. Request that a "fraud alert" be placed
you can use to alert companies where a newin your file, as well as a victim's statement
account was opened in your name can be filledasking that creditors call you before opening
out and given to the company. This affidavitany new accounts or changing your existing
is  available  online  to  consumers.accounts. This can help prevent an identity
thief from opening additional accounts in
Identity thieves can get your personalyour  name.
information  in  a  number  of  ways:
At the same time, order copies of your credit
* They steal wallets and purse containingreports from the credit bureaus. Credit
your  i.d.  and  credit  and  bank  cards.bureaus must give you a free copy of your
report if your report is inaccurate because
* They steal your mail, including your bankof fraud, and you make that request in
and credit card statements, pre-approvedwriting. Review your reports carefully to
credit offers, telephone calling cards andmake sure no additional fraudulent accounts
tax  information.have been opened in your name or unauthorized
changes  made  to  your  existing  accounts.
* They complete a "change of address form" to
divert  your  mail  to  another  location.Second, contact the creditors for any
accounts that have been tampered with or
* They rummage through your trash, or theopened fraudulently. Creditors can include
trash of businesses, for personal data in acredit card companies, phone companies and
practice  known  as  "dumpster  diving."other utilities, and banks and other lenders.
* They fraudulently obtain your credit reportThird, if possible, file a report with your
by posing as a landlord, employer or someonelocal police or the police in the community
else who may have a legitimate need for and awhere the identity theft took place. Get a
legal  right  to  the  information.copy of the police report in case the bank,
credit card company or others need proof of
* They get your business or personnel recordsthe crime. Even if the police are unable to
at  work.catch the thief, the report can be helpful
when  dealing  with  creditors.
* They find personal information in your
home.In summation, identity theft is a problem
that is causing businesses and consumers
* They use personal information you share onbillions of dollars per year. As a result,
the  internet.higher interest rates and an increase in the
cost of goods and services is passed on to
* They buy your personal information fromconsumers. So, do not be a victim protect
"inside" sources. For example, an identityyourself from identity theft by remaining
thief may pay a store employee foralert especially when a third party is
information about you that appears on anhandling your personal information.
application  for  goods,  services or credit.



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