Identity Theft

 
How To Prevent Identity Theft

According to a Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Survey, 8.3 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2005. Identity theft victims are often left with low credit scores and can spend months or years getting credit records corrected. They frequently have difficulty getting credit, obtaining loans and even finding employment.

Some insurance companies include identity theft coverage as part of their homeowners policy, selling it as either a stand-alone policy or as an endorsement to a homeowners or renters insurance policy. This coverage provides the customer with reimbursement for the expenses associated with the identity and credit restoration process. They may also include the services of a fraud specialist to assist victims through the process of restoring and protecting their identity.
 
Insurance Information Institute Idendity Protection Tips:

* Keep the amount of personal information in purses or wallets to the bare minimum.
Avoid carrying additional credit cards, a Social Security card or passport unless
absolutely necessary.

* Guard credit or debit cards when making purchases. Shield the card from the view
when using ATM machines or making long distance phone calls with phone cards.

* Always take credit, debit cards or ATM receipts. Do not throw receipts into public
trash containers or leave them on the counter.

* Proceed with caution when shoping online. Make sure that you buy from reputable
retailers with secure networks.

* Don't give out personal information whether on the phone, through the mail or over the
internet unless you initiated the contact and are sure who is on the other end.

* Do not fall for online or e-mail scams. Be wary of e-mail solicitations for personal
information. In online scams, thieves use e-mail inquiries proporting to be from
financial or other online organizations to obtain sensitive information.

* Monitor accounts frequently for suspicious activity. Make sure all transactions are
accurate. If a problem is suspected, contact the credit card company or bank
immediately.

* Order and carefully review a credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus.
Consumers are entitled to one free credit report per year.

* Place passwords on credit card, bank and phone accounts in a safe place. Avoid
using easily available information like your mother's maiden name, birth date, etc. If you
suspect a problem with your credit card, change the password immediately.

* Shred any documents that contain personal information before disposing of them.

* To make it more difficult for thieves to open accounts in their name, consumers can
also contact the fraud department of the three credit reporting agencies to place a
fraud alert on their credit report. The fraud alert tells creditors to contact consumers
before opening any new accounts or making any changes to existing accounts.

* Victims of a crime should report it to the store in question and the police immediately.
A copy of the police report will be necessary to file an insurance claim or report the
crime to the FTC. Victims of identity fraud can file a complaint on the FTC Identity Theft
Web site.

For more information please contact our agency.