IDENTITY THEFTPROTECT YOURSELF

WARNING SIGNS

• You see withdrawals from your bank account that you can’t explain.

• You don’t get your bills or other mail.

• Merchants refuse your checks.

• Debt collectors call you about debts that aren’t yours.

• You find unfamiliar accounts or charges on your credit report.

• Medical providers bill you for services you didn’t use.

• Your health plan rejects your legitimate medical claim because the records show you’ve reached your benefits limit.

• A health plan won’t cover you because your medical records show a condition you don’t have.

• The IRS notifies you that more than one tax return was filed in your name, or that you have income from an employer you don’t work for.

• You get notice that your information was compromised by a data breach at a company where you do business or have an account.

HOW IT HAPPENS

• Lost Wallet or Purse

• Skimming / recording credit card information from the magnetic stripe

• Burglaries

• Friends/Family

• Shoulder surfing / Cell phone cameras

• Fellow employees

• Insider theft, rogue employees that steal or sell your information

• Database hacking or accidental loss exposing personal data

• Keystroke recording

• Phishing and other email/phone scams

• Purchase – Stolen information for sale on the ‘black market’

HOW TO PREVENT IT

• Limit access

• Carry only what you need (leave checkbook at home)

• Ask how and where your information will be used before providing it

• Restrict access to credit information

• Be aware

• Pay attention to environment around you

• Monitor your accounts and credit reports

• Buy a good paper shredder, use it

AT HOME

• Keep ID documents and passwords in a secure place

• Shred any and all financial records, statements, applications and cards

• Don’t put outgoing mail, especially bill payments, in personal curbside mailboxes. Use USPS mailboxes instead

• use mail holds, pick it up from the post office

ATMS

• Disable Visa features

• Dont trust family or friends with your card

• Look around for cameras

• use trusted ATMs

• Store credit card and bank customer service numbers on your phone

• GIVE IT A TUG

CHECKING AND SAVINGS

• Transfer checking to savings

• Never allow direct draft from your accounts

• Dont link your checking or savings account to PayPal

• Monitor accounts monthly

• Setup alerts

• Your bank only communicates to your through snail mail or their authenticated app/website

Images courtesy of RedBox and Consumerist

GIVE THAT SLOT A TUGCARD SKIMMERS

Images: Brian Krebs, KMGH Denver, Post and Courier Charleston, SC

ACTIONS DEPEND ON EXPOSURELOST WALLET

• Social Security Number - treat like identity theft (freeze credit, review credit reports, etc.)

• Logins - change the password, account name if possible. Change reused passwords as well.

• Credit Cards / Bank Accounts - close account, request new cards

• Drivers license - contact DMV, report lost/stolen license, apply for replacement ($13 or free for 70 or older)

$100-$300 PER YEARPROTECTION PROGRAMS

• Dedicated Companies - LifeLock, Identity Guard/Protect

• Benefits/Membership AARP (Equifax) COSTCO (CompleteID)

• Credit Bureaus - Experian, TransUnion, Equifax

Provides:

• records monitoring

• credit monitoring

• medical identity

• lost wallet assistance

• insurance ($1 million)

• fraud alerts

DONEC QUIS NUNC

DIY PROTECTION

• Get free annual credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion

• annualcreditreport.com

• Stagger your requests every four months from one bureau to the next.

• Dispute anything that does not look right

• Close accounts you no longer use

FRAUD ALERT

• Forces creditors to verify your identity.

• must be completed on 3 credit reporting agencies

• Initial Fraud Alert. If you're concerned about identity theft, but haven't yet become a victim. Valid for 90 days. Example: stolen wallet

• Extended Fraud Alert. For victims of identity theft, an extended fraud alert will protect your credit for seven years.

• Active Duty Military Alert. For those in the military who want to protect their credit while deployed. Valid for 1 year.

IN NORTH CAROLINAFREEZING YOUR CREDIT

• lock access to credit file against anyone trying to open up a new account or to get new credit in their name

• must be completed on 3 credit reporting agencies

• Available in all states

• Free for ID Theft Victims, minors (under 16), seniors (62 or over), $5 for others (place, lift, or remove)

• no impact on credit cards or other lines of credit

• remains until removal requested by consumer.

OTHER REPORTING SOURCES

• Medical financial history Medical Information Bureau (MIB Group): www.mib.com / 1-866-692-6901.

• Banking history ChexSystems, www.consumerdebit.com / 1-800-262-7771

• Employment history www.ChoicePoint.com / 1-877-448-5732

• Insurance claim history www.ChoiceTrust.com / 1-866-312-8076.

IF YOU ARE A VICTIM

• Make copies of relevant documents

• Maintain a log of calls/emails/faxes. record names, dates and phone numbers of the people you talked to.

• File a police report, provide copies of documents get the report number and a copy of the report

• Open a fraud alert with all three credit reporting agencies

• Review bank and retirement accounts for fraudulent activity

• Contact postal inspector if U.S. mail was involved, this is a felony

• Every 3-4 months review your credit report

APPLE PAY

ALL PUBLIC WIFI IS INSECURE

NEVER DIVULGE ANYTHING ON A CALL YOU DID NOT PLACEPHONE CALLS

• AT&T U-Verse

• Astound Broadband

• BroadVoice/PhonePower

• Cablevision/Optimum

• Comcast

• Frontier

• Sonic

• SureWest

• Time Warner

• Ooma Premier

• Verizon FiOS

• Voipo

• Voip.ms

• Vonage

• 1-Voip,

• Wave Broadband.iPhone

Hardware