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Identity Theft
&
How to Protect Yourself
With identity theft on the rise, Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed would like to share the following information with our community about Identity theft and how to prevent it.
Anyone can be a victim to Identity theft. Criminals no longer steal your wallet or purse for cash. Now they want to steal your name. According to the Federal Trade Commission, ID Theft topped the list of complaints to the agency in 2004 for the fifth year in a row, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the 635,000 complaints that were filed.
How Can Someone Steal Your Identity?
ID Theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, Social Security number, credit card number or other identifying information, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. Criminals will get your personal information by stealing credit card applications, bank statements, or checks from your trash or mail. Criminals will also have your mail forwarded to a different address by completing a change of address form. Some criminals will hack into corporate databases to receive your information and others will steal the information from within a company. Computers and the internet have become a tool for criminals in their search to steal information. Internet scammers will use a high tech method called "Phishing" that uses spam and pop-up messages to trick you into disclosing your personal information.
ID Theft is a serious crime and people whose identities have been taken can spend years cleaning up the mess these criminal have made of their good name and credit. Victims may lose their home and cars. Often, victims cannot be approved for loans or miss job opportunities due to bad credit caused by identity theft. Some victims even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit.
Warning Signs of Identity Theft
$ You receive bills from a credit account you did not open.
$ You see unauthorized charges on your credit, long distance, or bank accounts.
$ You are contacted by a collection agency regarding a debt you did not incur.
$ Checks are missing from your checkbook.
$ Bank and credit billing statements arrive late.
$ Bank and credit statements stop arriving.
$ Credit reports show accounts you did not open.
$ You are turned down for credit.
What to do If You are a Victim of Identity Theft
$ File a police
report with your local law enforcement agency and keep a copy of that
report. Banks and credit agencies require this report before they will acknowledge a theft has
occurred. Furnish as much documentation as you can to prove your case. Debt collection letters, credit reports, and any
other evidence. Give the agency copies of your documents. If
there is enough evidence and a suspect has been identified, the
investigating agency will present the case to the District Attorney for prosecution. Click the link below to find out about law
enforcement agencies in the Bexar County area.
Law
enforcement agencies in the Bexar County area
$ Contact the three primary credit reporting bureaus to have a security alert or freeze placed on your report.
EXPERIAN
EQUIFAX
TRANS UNION
P.O. Box 2104
P.O. Box 740241
P.O. Box 2000
Allen, TX 75013-2104
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Chester, PA 19022-2000
www.experian.com
www.equifax.com
www.transunion.com
(888) 397-3742
(800) 685-1111 (order report)
(800) 888-4213 (request report)
(800) 525-6285 (report fraud)
(800) 680-7289 (report fraud)
$ Request a copy of your credit report and review it for unauthorized account activity.
$ Report unauthorized charges and accounts to the appropriate credit issuers and credit bureaus immediately by phone and in writing. Cancel these accounts.
$ If your
wallet or purse is stolen, immediately cancel your credit and debit cards
and get replacements.
Put a "stop payment" on all lost or stolen checks.
$ Follow up in writing with all contacts you've made on the phone or in person.
$ Keep copies of all correspondence or forms you send.
$ Write down the name of anyone you spoke with, what he or she said, and the date the conversation occurred.
$ Keep original documentation and only send copies.
$ Keep the documentation even after the case is closed. Errors can reappear on you credit report.
$ Do not give out your information over the phone if someone calls you. You may receive a phone call from someone posing as a bank representative or law enforcement official. You have no way of knowing who is really on the other end of the line.
$ If another person is arrested and falsely uses your name or other personal information, Texas law allows you to have your information expunged from the arrest record. Contact the Crime Records Division at the Texas Department of Pubic Safety (DPS) by calling (512) 424-5258, or visit their web site at www.txdps.state.tx.us
$ The Federal Trade Commission or
FTC, has authority to prosecute identity theft at the federal level.
You can report ID Theft to the FTC by calling (877) IDTHEFT (877) 438-4338,
or visit their web site at www.ftc.gov
How to Protect Your Identity
$ Minimize the amount of personal information you carry with you. Always memorize your passwords or PIN numbers instead of carrying them with you.
$ Keep personal financial information in a secure place in your home. SHRED or destroy identifying information before throwing it away.
$ Do not give out sensitive information to unsolicited callers. Most legitimate businesses will not ask for your Social Security or bank account numbers.
$ Pick up new checks or a new or reissued credit card at your bank rather than having them mailed to your home. Do not have your Driver's License number or Social Security number printed on your checks.
$ If you do not receive your bank or credit card statement in the mail on time, call the issuer to make sure they are being sent to the correct address. Also contact the Post Office to see if a change of address has been filed in your name.
Computers and internet security
If you store financial or personal information on your computer, use a password to protect it. Install a firewall to keep hackers from accessing your computer over the internet. Do not give out your credit card number or other financial information over the internet unless you are certain you have a secure server connection. This should include an "s" after the "http" web address and an icon of a "closed lock" or "key" at the bottom of your internet browser. Always save your transaction or confirmation number given to you by the business and make a note of the date/time of your transaction and what you ordered. Make sure your computer has all the latest security updates for your operating system. You should also have an updated program for virus protection.
links to Sites with More Information About Identity Theft
Information for Law Enforcement Investigations
How Not to Get Hooked by a "Phishing" Scam
Publications by the Federal
Trade Commission
Requires
ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name
ID Theft: What's it All About?
Texas Law and Identity Theft
Texas Penal Code 32.51 FRAUDULENT USE OR POSSESSION OF IDENTIFYING INFORMATION