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"I first was notified that someone had used my Social Security
number for their taxes in February 2004. I also found out that this
person opened a checking account, cable and utility accounts, and
a cell phone account in my name. I'm still trying to clear up everything
and just received my income tax refund after waiting four to five
months. Trying to work and get all this cleared up is very stressful. From
a consumer's complaint to the FTC, July 9, 2004
Despite your best efforts to manage the flow of your personal
information or to keep it to yourself, skilled identity thieves
may use a variety of methods to gain access to your data.
How identity thieves get your personal information: They get
information from businesses or other institutions by: stealing records
or information while they're on the job, bribing an employee who
has access to these records, hacking these records, conning information
out of employees. They may steal your mail, including bank
and credit card statements, credit card offers, new checks, and
tax information. They may rummage through your trash, the trash
of businesses, or public trash dumps in a practice known as "dumpster
diving.". They may get your credit reports by abusing their
employer's authorized access to them, or by posing as a landlord,
employer, or someone else who may have a legal right to access your
report. They may steal your credit or debit card numbers by capturing
the information in a data storage device in a practice known as
"skimming." They may swipe your card for an actual purchase,
or attach the device to an ATM machine where you may enter or swipe
your card.They may steal your wallet or purse. They may complete
a "change of address form" to divert your mail to another
location. They may steal personal information they find in your
home. They may steal personal information from you through email
or phone by posing as legitimate companies and claiming that you
have a problem with your account. This practice is known as "phishing"
online, or pretexting by phone.
How identity thieves use your personal information: They may
call your credit card issuer to change the billing address on your
credit card account. The imposter then runs up charges on your account.
Because your bills are being sent to a different address, it may
be some time before you realize there's a problem. They may open
new credit card accounts in your name. When they use the credit
cards and don't pay the bills, the delinquent accounts are reported
on your credit report. They may establish phone or wireless service
in your name. They may open a bank account in your name and write
bad checks on that account. They may counterfeit checks or
credit or debit cards, or authorize electronic transfers in your
name, and drain your bank account. They may file for bankruptcy
under your name to avoid paying debts they've incurred under your
name, or to avoid eviction. They may buy a car by taking out an
auto loan in your name. They may get identification such as a driver's
license issued with their picture, in your name. They may get a
job or file fraudulent tax returns in your name. They may give your
name to the police during an arrest. If they don't show up for their
court date, a warrant for arrest is issued in your name.
If Your Personal Information Has Been Lost or Stolen. If you've
lost personal information or identification, or if it has been stolen
from you, taking certain steps quickly can minimize the potential
for identity theft. Financial accounts: Close accounts, like credit
cards and bank accounts, immediately. When you open new accounts,
place passwords on them. Avoid using your mother's maiden name,
your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number
(SSN) or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.
Social Security number: Call the toll-free fraud number of any
of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies and place an
initial fraud alert on your credit reports. An alert can help stop
someone from opening new credit accounts in your name. See consumer
reporting company contact information. For more information about
fraud alerts, see the Fraud Alerts box.
Driver's license/other government-issued identification: Contact
the agency that issued the license or other identification document.
Follow its procedures to cancel the document and to get a replacement.
Ask the agency to flag your file so that no one else can get a license
or any other identification document from them in your name.
Once you've taken these precautions, watch for signs that your
information is being misused. STAY ALERT.
If your information has been misused, file a report about the
theft with the police, and file a complaint with the Federal Trade
Commission, as well. If another crime was committed for example,
if your purse or wallet was stolen or your house or car was broken
into report it to the police immediately.
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