How
to Avoid Identity Theft
House
File 659
A message from Attorney General Tom
Miller:
Dear
fellow Iowans,
The goal of this brochure is to help you if you are a victim
of "identity theft." Identity theft occurs when
someone obtains important personal information, such as your
Social Security number, banking or credit card account numbers,
to commit fraud or theft
"Identity
thieves" commit a kind of financial sabotage. They use
people's personal information to open fraudulent credit card
accounts, rob retirement earnings, siphon money out of people's
accounts, or commit other kinds of fraud.
The Consumer
Protection Division of my office has developed this guide
to provide you with information and steps to take if you are
a victim; whom to contact, what to say, where to write or
call, how to repair your credit record, and how to avoid future
problems.
I am very
sorry if you have been victimized by identity theft, and I
sincerely hope the information in this guide will help you.
I encourage
you to contact my office if we can provide any more information.
Please write to the Consumer Protection Division, Hoover Building,
Des Moines, Iowa 50319, or call 515-281-5926.
With best
wishes,
Tom
Miller
Attorney
General of Iowa
| A
Guide for Victims of Identity Theft |
Identity
theft crimes are on the rise, causing nationwide concern.
Your personal identifying information can be accessed in an
increasing variety of ways. An imposter can misuse your information
to open fraudulent credit card accounts, secure deposits on
cars and housing, obtain employment opportunities, create
insurance benefits, and rob retirement earnings. This form
of financial sabotage can devastate your credit and require
endless hours of telephone and written communication to resolve.
In the meantime, you may experience difficulty writing checks,
obtaining loans, renting apartments, and even getting hired.
This guide
provides victims of identity theft with clear and concise
information, and the major resources to contact to resolve
the conflicts which remain long after the thief disappears.
Unfortunately, the responsibility of identifying and resolving
the consequences of identity theft is left largely to the
victims themselves. It is important to act quickly and assertively
to minimize the damage to your credit reputation. While identity
theft is a "crime" which law enforcement officials
can prosecute, the perpetrator is often difficult to track.
In addition, law enforcement officials cannot clean up the
havoc created for you.
In dealing
with the authorities and financial institutions, keep a log
of all conversations, including dates, names, and telephone
numbers. Keep notes on the time spent and any expenses incurred.
Confirm all conversations in writing. Send correspondence
by certified mail (return receipt requested). Keep copies
of all letters and documents.
1. Credit
Bureaus
2. Creditors
3. Law Enforcement
4. Stolen Checks
5. Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) cards
6. Fraudalent
Change of Address, Mail Theft, or Other Mail Involvment
7. Secret Service
Jurisdiction
8. Social
Security Number Misuse
9. Income
Tax Fraud
10. Passports
11. Utilities
12. Driver's
License Number Misuse
13. False
Civil and Criminal Judgments
14. Credit
Report Fraud
15. Insurance
Coverage
16. Legal Help
17. Making Changes
18. Don't
Give In
Immediately
call the fraud units of the three credit reporting companies
-- CSC Credit Services (Equifax Regional Office), Experian
(formerly TRW), and Trans Union. Report the theft of your
credit cards or misuse of your account numbers. Request that
your credit account be flagged. Also, add a victim's statement
(up to 100 words) to your report, such as: "My identification
has been used to apply for fraudulent credit. Contact me at
[your telephone number or mailing address] to verify ALL applications."
Be sure to ask how long the fraud alert is posted on your
credit account, and how you can extend it if necessary.
Be aware that these measures may not entirely stop fraudulent
new accounts from being opened by the identity thief. Ask
the credit bureaus, in writing, to provide you with copies
every few months so you can monitor your credit report. Upon
your request, a credit bureau is required to provide you with
one free credit report during any 12-month period if you have
reason to believe the report contains inaccurate information
due to fraud. Additional credit reports shall not exceed an
$8.00 charge and this fee is often waived. (15 United States
Code section 1682j(c)(3))
Request
the credit bureaus, in writing, to provide you the names and
phone numbers of credit grantors with whom fraudulent accounts
have been opened. Request the credit bureaus, in writing,
to remove inquiries that have been generated due to the fraudulent
access. Request that all fraudulent information and inquiries
be permanently removed from your credit report. You may also
request the credit bureaus to notify those who have received
your credit report in the last six months in order to alert
them to the disputed and erroneous information (two years
for employers).
|
Credit
Bureau
|
Report
Consumer Fraud
|
Request
Credit
Report
|
Get
Off Mailing Lists
|
CSC
Credit Services
(Equifax Regional Office)
P.O. Box 674402
Houston, TX 77267-4402 |
800-272-9281
and write to address at left. |
800-759-5979 |
800-759-5979
and write to address at left. |
Experian
(TRW)
P.O. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013 |
888-397-3742
or
800-301-7195
and write to address at left. |
888-397-3742
or
800-682-7654 |
800-353-0809
and write to:
Experian (TRW)
P.O. Box 919
Allen, TX 75013 |
Trans
Union
P.O. Box 390
Springfield, PA 19064 |
800-680-7289
and write to:
Fraud Victim Asst. Div.
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92634 |
800-888-4213 |
800-680-7293
and write to:
P.O. Box 97328
Jackson, MS 39238 |
Contact
all creditors immediately with whom your name has been used
fraudulently -- by telephone and in writing. Get replacement
cards with new account numbers for your own accounts that
have been used fraudulently. Ask that old accounts be processed
as "account closed at consumer's request." This
is better than "card lost or stolen," because when
this statement is reported to credit bureaus, it can be interpreted
as blaming you for the loss. Carefully monitor your mail and
credit card statements for evidence of new fraudulent activity.
Report it immediately to credit grantors.
Victims
of unauthorized use of a credit card will be liable for no
more than the first $50 of the loss, although this is often
waived and victim will not be required to pay any part of
the loss. (15 United States Code section 1643)
Request
the credit grantor to provide you with a copy of the fraudulent
credit application and a statement of the incurred charges.
Such information may be helpful in disputing the application
and/or charges as fraudulent. If the credit grantor resists
providing you this information, contact your local police
or sheriff's department for assistance. The credit grantor
should readily provide such information when requested to
do so by local law enforcement authorities.
Pay particular
attention to what personal identifying information the identity
thief has provided on the application and note any discrepancies
that may exist. When reviewing the charges, note the date
of the purchases, where the purchases were made and what type
of products or services were purchased. Look for dates, places
or items which contradict your own schedule, whereabouts,
and even tastes.
Credit
requirements to verify fraud You may be asked by banks or
credit grantors to fill out and notarize fraud affidavits,
which could become costly. The law does NOT require that a
notarized affidavit be provided to banks or creditors. A written
statement and supporting documentation should be enough (unless
the bank or creditor offer to pay for the notary). Overly
burdensome requirements by banks or creditors should be reported
to the government authority which regulates the credit card
issuer. To determine which authority regulates the particular
credit card issuer in question, contact:
Iowa Department of Commerce
Banking Division
200 E. Grand Suite 300
Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: 515-281-4014
Report
the crime to all police and sheriff's departments with jurisdiction
in your case. Give them as much documented evidence as possible.
Get a copy of your police report. Keep the telephone number
of your fraud investigator handy and give it to creditors
and others who require certification of your case. Banks and
credit card companies may require you to produce the police
report in order to verify the crime.
If you
have had checks stolen or bank accounts set up fraudulently,
report it to the check verification companies listed below.
Put stop payments on any outstanding checks that you are unsure
of. Cancel your checking and savings accounts and obtain new
account numbers. Give the bank a secret password for your
account. When creating a password, don't use common numbers
like the last four digits of your Social Security number,
your birthdate, middle name, mother's maiden name, pet's name,
address, consecutive numbers, or anything else that could
easily be discovered by thieves.
Check
Verification Company Telephone Number Mailing Address
CheckRite 800-766-2748 P.O. Box 520370
Salt Lake City, UT 84152
Chexsystems 800-428-9623
12005 Ford Road #600
Dallas, TX 75234
Equifax 800-437-5120 11602 Roosevelt Blvd.
St. Petersburg, FL 33716
NPC Check Services, Inc. 800-526-5380 P.O. Box 379
Riverdale, NJ 07457
SCAN 800-262-7771 19803 N. Creek Parkway
Bothell, WA 98011
TeleCheck 800-710-9898 P.O. Box 17370
Denver, CO 80217
|
Automatic
Teller Machine (ATM) Cards
|
If your
ATM card has been stolen or compromised, get a new card, account
number and password. Do not use your old password or the common
passwords and personal identification numbers listed above.
