Identity TheftDon’t Let Bad Things Happen to

Your Good Name

ID Theft -- A Major Problem

• 27 million American victims over 5 years• 9.9 million over the past year• $48 billion in losses to business• $5 billion in out-of-pocket losses to

consumersSource: Federal Trade Commission

ID Theft -- Defined

• ID Theft – a wholesale takeover of someone’s identity for financial gain.

• ID Fraud – creating a brand new identity from several different sources to commit crimes and evade detection.

You May Not Know Until:

• You are contacted by a collection agency;

• Credit charges show up that you never made;

• A lender tries to repossess a car you never purchased;

• You are contacted by police about a crime you didn’t commit.

What Does the Thief Want?

• Your Social Security Card

• Your Driver’s License

• Your Account Numbers

Where Does the Thief Get These?

• Your Wallet or Purse• Your Mailbox• Your Car• Your Trash• Your Computer• You

How Is This Information Used?• Use credit cards to go on buying spree• Open new accounts in your name• Change mailing address on your accounts• Buy a car, with loan in your name• Get phone service in your name• Drain your bank account• Apply for a job in your name• Use your name if arrested for a crime

ID Theft & Your Family

• ID thieves are targeting children

• Information is easy to find

• Hard to catch

How to Protect Yourself

• Your Wallet or Purse» Don’t carry your social security card

» Don’t carry papers that contain your social security number

How to Protect Yourself

• Credit/Debit Cards» Don’t carry more than you really need» If you aren’t using a card, cancel it» Don’t sign…write “check photo ID”» Check statements for fraud» Keep copies of cards in secure location» Don’t forget the checkbook

Cash Out

How to Protect Yourself• Your Mailbox:

» Place outgoing mail in secure box;

» Use locked box or pick up incoming mail as soon as possible;

» Consider central delivery into locked boxes.

How to Protect Yourself

• Your Car:» Check glove box and rest of car

» Remove any personally identifiable documents

How to Protect Yourself

• Your trash:» Consider purchasing an inexpensive paper

shredder from local office supply store;

» Shred all documents containing personal information before disposing.

Protect Yourself – Your Computer

• Your login/password:» Use unique passwords with combinations

of numbers, letters and characters;• This “th%d4get”• Not this “password” or “bob”

» Change passwords regularly;» Remember them, don’t write them down.

Protect Yourself – Credit Report

• Get your free credit report» www.annualcreditreport.com

Protect Yourself – Get off the List• National Do Not Call List

» www.donotcall.gov» 1-888-382-1222

• Direct Mail Opt Out» www.optoutprescreen.com» 1–888-567-8688

• FTC Spam Complaints» spam@uce.gov

You Are Your Own Best Defense

• Never, never, never give out personal information to people you don’t know;

• Beware of Internet “Phishing” – people who “phish” the Web hoping to hook you into giving them your login, password or credit card information

If You’re a Victim

• Contact your local police and report this as a crime for two reasons:» To help police track crime and spare

others;» Because you will need a copy of the police

report to help prove you are a crime victim.

If You’re a Victim

• Contact any of the three major credit reporting agencies:» Equifax» Experian» TransUnion

Contact information can be found at:

www.bbb.org/idtheft

If You’re a Victim

• Notify credit grantors» On your existing accounts;» On any accounts you believe may have

been fraudulently opened in your name.

If You’re a Victim• Complete an ID Theft Affidavit

A copy can be accessed through:

www.bbb.org/idtheft

BBB of Northwest FloridaA Source for Information and Help

Telephone – (850) 429-0002

Web Site – www.nwfl.bbb.org

ID Theft Web Site – www.bbb.org/idtheft

Identity Theft

Don’t Let Bad Things Happen To Your Good Name