Avoid Becoming A Victim of Identity Theft
There’s no sure-fire method to prevent identity theft, but you can make stealing your identity as difficult as possible.

Take care of your Social Security number:
• Contact the three major credit bureaus and ask that they use only the     last four digits of your Social Security number.
• Give out your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary. Ask   to use another identifier whenever possible.
• Don’t carry more credit cards or ID than you need. Keep the rest, including your Social Security card, in a secure place.
• Since the identifier on your Medicare card is your Social Security number, don’t carry it unless you’re keeping a doctor’s appointment or know that you’re going to need it.
• If any other insurance card you carry uses your Social Security number, ask that company for a new card with a different identifier.
• Make sure that your driver’s license doesn’t carry your Social Security     number. If it does, get a new one.
• Never have your Social Security number printed on your checks.

Mail and Paper:
• Don’t just toss, shred. Shred anything that has personal information on it, including credit card offers. Invest in a cross-cut paper shredder.
• Keep track of when your statements and bills are due. When something doesn’t show up when it’s supposed to, call that company. This includes your monthly bank statements, credit card bills, utility bills, anything with personal information on it.
• Check your bank statements every month and report any suspicious transactions.
• If you’re going to be away from home for any length of time, don’t forget to stop your newspapers and mail.
• Replace your mailbox with one that locks.
• Never clip outgoing mail to your mailbox. Take it directly to the Post Office or place it in an official Postal Service mailbox.
• Be careful when responding to unsolicited promotions. Identity thieves often create  phony offers just to get personal and financial information.
• Don’t fall for any “claim your prize” scams that ask you for personal information before your so-called prize is sent to you.

Computer:
• Never give out your personal information over the phone, through the mail or via the Internet unless you’re the one who initiated the contact.
• Keep your virus protection updated.
• Don’t open files sent to you by people you don’t know.
• If you use a high-speed Internet connection such as DSL, cable or a T-1 line that keeps you connected 24/7, use a firewall program.
• Before providing personal or financial information through a company’s website, make sure it’s secure. Look for signs that show the site is secure, such as a lock icon on the status bar or “https” in the URL. (The “s” stands for “secure”.) Keep in mind, however, that these can be faked.
• Don’t store financial information on your laptop if you can help it. Especially don’t store passwords or personal identification numbers (PINs). Memorize those!
• Don’t check the automatic log-in feature box that remembers your name and password on your computer or on sites you visit regularly.
• Always log off completely when you’re done.
• Before getting rid of an old computer, delete all your personal information. You’ll have to do more than just reformatting the hard drive. Use a “wipe” utility instead.
• Take the time to read website privacy policies. They should address access, security and what happens to personal information collected on the site.
• Be careful what you share. Don’t put personal information in blogs or share it in chat rooms, genealogy or reunion sites.
• Do use the Internet to check your account balances daily.

Other things you can do or need to keep in mind:
• Call (888) 567-8688 to keep your credit information from being sold and to opt out of receiving unwanted credit card offers.
• Put passwords on bank, phone and credit card accounts, and don’t use information that can be easily found, such as birthdates, your mother’s maiden name or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
• When opening new accounts, if they want your mother’s maiden name or something common like it, ask to use a password instead.
• Always keep personal and financial information put away and secured in your home. This is especially important if you have roommates, home health care workers, cleaning people, etc. in your home.
• Remember where you are. When ordering something by phone—especially on a cell phone—make sure there’s no one around you to hear and make note of your credit card number.
These tips are brought to you by the Society of Certified Senior Advisors® (SCSA), the world’s largest membership organization educating and certifying professionals who serve seniors. Visit us at www.csa.us.

What To Do When Fraud Strikes!
If your identity is stolen, the sooner you discover it, the sooner you can take the steps necessary to fix it. Don’t let fear, ignorance or embarrassment keep you from doing what you need to do to protect your finances, your property and most importantly, your self!
1. Let all of your creditors know that your ID has been stolen. Be sure to keep
track of whom you talked to, when you talked to them, and their job titles and
phone numbers. Remember, the sooner you notice and report any discrepancies on your accounts, the easier it is to dispute them.
2. Close your accounts. Do this in writing, by certified mail, return receipt
requested. Keep copies of everything.
3. When you open new accounts, put passwords on them. (And don’t use your mother’s maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SSN or any other easily obtained numbers or names.)
4. Contact the issuing agency of any IDs that were taken—driver’s license, state ID, employment ID. Don’t just cancel and replace, ask the agency to put a caution or flag on your file so nobody else can get replacements.
5. File a police report and make copies of that report to send to your creditors. Do this in person rather than using an automated report. If your police department does not take identity theft reports, ask to file a “Miscellaneous Incident Report.” If you’re still unable to file a report, contact your state Attorney General to find out exactly what your state’s law is in regards to identity theft.
6. Find out from each creditor just what it is you need to do to clear up the mess, then do it, keeping track of everyone you talk to and everything you do.
7. Once all the disputed charges have been taken off your accounts and
everything is resolved, have those companies send you a letter that states in
writing that the disputed accounts are closed and the fraudulent debts
discharged. File and keep copies of these letters to use if this erroneous
information reappears on your credit report.
8. Follow up to make sure everything has been taken care of and keep checking your accounts regularly.
9. Report the theft or fraud to the three major credit bureaus. Have them place a fraud alert on your account.
10. Don’t fall for so-called credit repair scams. The only information that can be removed from your credit reports is inaccurate information, and that’s something you can do for yourself.
These tips are brought to you by Society of Certified Senior Advisors® (SCSA), the world’s largest membership organization educating and certifying professionals who serve seniors.
Visit us at www.csa.us.

Identity Theft: Who You Gonna Call?
If you are a victim of identity theft or fraud, contact the Federal Trade Commission’s ID Theft Hotline:
www.consumer.gov/idtheft
1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338)
1-202-326-2502 TDD
Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580
To order your free yearly credit report, contact Annual Credit Report Request Service:
www.annualcreditreport.com
1-877-322-8228
P. O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
Contact the three major credit bureaus to advise them that your identity has been compromised or to purchase a copy of your credit report:
Equifax 1-800-685-1111 www.equifax.com
P. O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian 1-888-EXPERIAN www.experien.com
P. O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion 1-800-916-8800 www.transunion.com
Fraud Victim Assistance Division
P. O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
Put a vacation hold on your mail by contacting the U.S. Postal Service:
1-800-275-8777
For a list of state Attorneys General: www.naag.org
Block telemarketing calls:
www.donotcall.gov
1-888-382-1222
Block unsolicited credit offers:
1-888-5 OPTOUT (1-888-557-8688)
In the case of stolen or misused checks, contact:
Telecheck: 1-800-710-9898 www.telecheck.com
Certegy, Inc.: 1-800-437-5120
Checkrite/Global Payments 1-800-638-4600 www.globalpaymentinc.com
ChexSystems/E-Funds 1-800-328-5121 www.chexhelp.com
Contact the Social Security Administration:
1-800-269-271 www.ssa.gov
These tips are brought to you by Society of Certified Senior Advisors® (SCSA), the world’s largest membership organization educating and certifying professionals who serve seniors.
Visit us at www.csa.us.
1-800-275-8777
For a list of state Attorneys General: www.naag.org
Block telemarketing calls:
www.donotcall.gov
1-888-382-1222
Block unsolicited credit offers:
1-888-5 OPTOUT (1-888-557-8688)
In the case of stolen or misused checks, contact:
Telecheck: 1-800-710-9898 www.telecheck.com
Certegy, Inc.: 1-800-437-5120
Checkrite/Global Payments 1-800-638-4600 www.globalpaymentinc.com
ChexSystems/E-Funds 1-800-328-5121 www.chexhelp.com
Contact the Social Security Administration:
1-800-269-271 www.ssa.gov
These tips are brought to you by Society of Certified Senior Advisors® (SCSA), the world’s largest membership organization educating and certifying professionals who serve seniors.
Visit us at www.csa.us.