SAFEGUARDING YOUR IDENTITY

Identity Theft

Be Aware of Fraudulent E-Mail Schemes

What is Identity Theft?

Up to 500,000 individuals are victims each year of identity theft, also known as identity fraud (true name fraud) or account takeover fraud.  Identity theft is a crime where someone wrongfully uses or attempts to use someone else's personal information (such as name, Social Security Number, driver's license, bank account numbers, credit card numbers) to commit fraud or theft. It is estimated that identity theft has become the fastest-growing financial crime in America and perhaps the fastest-growing crime of any kind in our society. 

How Identity Thieves Steal Your Personal Information

Identity thieves employ a variety of methods to secure your personal information:

• By stealing wallets and purses containing ID and credit and bank cards.
• By stealing your mail including credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, new checks and tax information.
• By rummaging through your trash for personal data in a practice known as "dumpster diving".
• By using personal information found on the Internet.
• By fraudulently obtaining your credit report by posing as a landlord, employer, etc.
• By finding personal information in your home.
• By buying your personal information from "inside" sources such as a store employee.

How Identity Thieves Use Your Personal Information

• By calling your credit card issuer posing as you and asking to change the mailing address on your credit card account.  The imposter then runs up charges on your account, having the bills sent to the new address.
• By opening a new credit card account using your name, date of birth and Social Security Number (SSN) and failing to pay the bills resulting in a delinquent report on your credit card.
• By establishing phone or wireless service in your name.
• By opening a bank account in your name and writing bad checks on that account.
• By filing for bankruptcy under your name to avoid paying debts they've incurred under your name, or to avoid eviction.
• By counterfeiting checks or debit cards and draining your bank account.
• By filing for government benefits including unemployment insurance and tax refunds.

Minimize Your Risk Against Identity Theft
You can help guard against identity theft by wisely managing your personal information by using the following precautions:

• Keep items with personal information in a secure place, including all credit cards, account numbers, expiration dates and the customer service numbers so that you can readily contact your creditors in case your cards are lost or stolen.
   
• Create passwords and Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) that are unpredicable - don't use your date of birth, digits from your SSN, etc.
  Remove all PINs from your wallet or purse.
   
• Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you've initiated the contact or are sure you know with whom you are dealing.  Identity thieves may pose as bank representatives, Internet service providers and even government agencies to get you to reveal your SSN, account numbers and other identifying information.
   
• Do not leave bill payment envelopes clipped to your mailbox or inside with the flag up.  Promptly remove mail from your mailbox. Take your outgoing mail either to a local post office or deposit it in one of the postal service boxes in your neighborhood.
   
• Shred your credit card, debit card and ATM receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physicians statements, expired credit cards you're discarding and credit offers you get in the mail.
   
• Leave your Social Security card in a secure place - don't carry it with you.  Give your SSN only when absolutely necessary.  Ask to use other identifiers when possible.
   
• Minimize the number of credit and debit cards you carry - cancel inactive cards.
   
• Pay attention to your billing cycles and follow up with creditors if bills don't arrive on time - a missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and charged your billing address to cover his tracks.
   
• Carefully review your monthly accounts, credit card statements and utility bills (including cellular telephone bills) for unauthorized transactions as soon as you receive them.  If you suspect unauthorized use, contact the provider's customer service and fraud departments immediately.
   
• When you order new checks, find out when you can expect delivery.  If your mailbox is not secure, then ask to pick up the checks instead of having them delivered to your home.
   
• If you prefer not to receive offers of pre-approved financing or credit, you can "opt out" of receiving such offers by calling (888) 5OPTOUT sponsored by the three credit bureaus.  The Direct Marketing Association offers services to help reduce the number of mail and telephone solicitations.  To join their mail preference service, mail your name, home address and signature to: Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008.
   
• Be wary of promotional scams - identity thieves may use phony offers to get your personal information.
   
• Shield the keypad when using ATMs and Point-of-Sale terminals or when placing calling card calls.
   
• Choose to do business with companies you know are reputable, particularly online.
   
• When conducting business online, use a secure browser that encrypts or scrambles purchase information and make sure your browser's padlock or key icon is active.

Review Your Credit Reports Annually
At least once a year you should order a copy of your credit report from each of the major credit reporting agencies below.  Knowing what is in your credit report allows you to fix problems before they jeopardize a major transaction.

Equifax: www.equifax.com
Call 800-685-1111 or write to P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian - www.experian.com
Call 888-397-3742 or write to P.O. Box 2002, Allen TX 75013

Trans Union - www.transunion.com
Call 800-888-4213 or write to P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022

What To Do If You're A Victim of Identity Theft

• If you've been a victim and you have accounts at Fairfield County Bank or Ridgefield Bank, a division of Fairfield County Bank, call us at 203-431-7431 or toll-free at -877-431-7431 to report the situation.

• Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts, and all three credit reports will be sent to you free of charge.

Equifax: (800) 525-6285 or write to P.O. Box 740250, Atlanta, GA 30374-0250.

Experian:(888) 397-3742, fax to (800) 301-7196, or write to P.O. Box 1017, Allen, TX 75013.

Trans Union: call (800) 680-7289 or write to P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634.

• Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
   

• Contact all creditors with whom your name or identifying data have been fraudulently used. For example, you may need to contact your long-distance telephone company if your long-distance calling card has been stolen or you find fraudulent charges on your bill.
   

• Contact all financial institutions where you have accounts that an identity thief has taken over or that have been created in your name but without your knowledge. You may need to cancel those accounts, place stop-payment orders on any outstanding checks that may not have cleared, and change your ATM or debit card, account, and Personal Identification Number (PIN).
   
• File a police report with your local police department.  Obtain a police report number with the date, time, police department, location and police officer taking the report.  The police report may initiate an investigation into the loss with the goal of identifying, arresting and prosectuting the offender and possibly recovering your lost items.  The police report will be helpful when clarifying to creditors that you are a victim of identity theft.
   

• File your complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission, by telephone toll-free at 1-877-877-438-4338 or TDD at 202-326-2502, or by mail to Consumer Response Center, FTC, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations.
   

• You may also need to contact other agencies for other types of identity theft: 

Your local office of the Postal Inspection Service if you suspect that an identity thief has submitted a change of address form with the Post Office to redirect your mail, or has used the mail to commit frauds involving your identity;

The Social Security Administration if you suspect that your Social Security number is being fraudulently used (call 800-269-0271 to report the fraud);

The Internal Revenue Service if you suspect the improper use of identification information in connection with tax violations (call 1-800-829-0433 to report the violations).

• Check your mailbox for stolen mail.  Make sure no one has requested an unauthorized address change, title change, PIN change or ordered new cards or checks to be sent to another address.  If a thief has stolen your mail to get credit cards, bank and credit card statements, pre-screened credit offers or tax information, or if an identity thief has falsified change-of-address forms, that's a crime.  Contact your local police and post office.
   
• Maintain a written chronology of what happened, what was lost and the steps you took to report the incident to the various agencies, financial institutions and firms impacted.  Be sure to record the date, time, contact telephone numbers, person you talked to and any relevant report or reference number and instructions.

IDENTITY THEFT RESOURCES

Federal Government:
Federal Trade Commission
U.S. Department of Education

Other Federal Resources:
Department of Justice
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Social Security Administration
U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service

Non-Profit Associations:
Identity Theft Resource Center
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

Consumer Organizations:
Consumers Union
Call For Action

Source for some of the content on this page: American Bankers Association, www.aba.com

Be Aware of Fraudulent E-Mail Schemes

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