Hi all,
Recently, I became interested in protecting myself against identity theft. I have always been very mindful of my credit rating, but having become actively interested in ID theft, I have found out a heck of a lot that everyone should know about because there are things everyone (in the US) can easily do to not only protect themselves but also get access to information on yourself that is legally yours but that unless you do the legwork no one would ever tell you about. Hopefully you all know that you can get, free of charge, a copy of your credit report each year as well as after anytime you are refused credit. However, there's more information out there that you should know about. I wanted to share.
Long story short: I looked into one of those services that "protects against ID theft" for a fee each month. Then I got their package in the mail and pretty much every thing they do for that fee is something you could do yourself with minimal effort.
I won't go into the background and basics of credit ratings, and credit reporting companies, or all that other stuff. I am happy to tell people a lot more about it, but a quick online search will probably do just as well. What you do need to know are that the three credit reporting companies are Equifax, Experian, and Trans-Union. What I will tell you about here is what I did to protect myself and one set of info I didn't know about (MIB). First, a caveat: I beleive this info probably applies only to US citizens. I am totally unaware of what other countries credit reporting systems are like.
Here are the things to do that do basically all the same things that credit protection companies will charge you for, just for free (or nearly free).
* opt out of free credit offers
* Get off mailing & phone lists
* get a "fraud alert" placed on your credit.
* Get copies of your credit report
* Get copies of your drivers record
* Get a copy of your social security report
* Get a copy of your Medical Information Bureau report.
So...what are these things, and how do you do them?
* "opt out" of free credit offers - this removes your name from the "pre-approved offers of credit and marketing" lists of the major credit bureaus and thereby prevents you from getting "free credit" through the mail, which is a big origin of ID theft and fraud. The "Opt -Out" Hotline for each reporting agency: Experian (formerly TRW), Equifax and Trans Union is: 1-888-567-8688. Call it, the prompts will take you through the process.
* get off mailing and phone lists: This involves at least two things: Signing up for the Direct Marketing Association's Mail and Telephone Preference Services. This will assure that your name is added to computerized name deletion lists used by nationwide marketers.Do this by writing to:
Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735
Telephone Preference Service
P.O. Box 9014
Farmingdale, NY 11735
The second thing is to make sure your name and telephone number are unlisted in the phone book.
* get a "fraud alert" placed on your credit. This forces any business who is opening a credit line in your name to contact you *directly*. Ie: if someone is impersonating you to open credit in your name, then this largely prevents that since it makes the companies contact you first to confirm it. Fraud Alerts are free, good for 90 days, and can be renewed each 90 days by another phone call. You can get one that is valid for a year in some cases, OR even one that is valid for seven years if you have been the victim of ID theft *and* you have a copy of the police report on that.
* Get copies of your credit report at least once a year to make sure it is correct as well as to stay informed about the info there. You can get these directly from the credit reporting agencies. If there is anything wrong in them, correct it ASAP.
* Get copies of your drivers record from your local DMV office - car insurance companies use this to determine your insurance rates, and there might be erroneous information in them.
* Get a copy of your social security report - this is from the social security administration and tells you what your soc sec income has been, and how it has been used. It alerts you if anyone is using your name to get soc sec'y monies. You can do that here:
https://s044a90.ssa.gov/apps6a/isss/main.html
* Get a copy of your Medical Information Bureau report. This is the one that I didn't know about, and I suspect most people don't either. Here's a good summary of what it's all about
: "Your health record used to be considered a private matter between you and your doctor. With the growth of computerization and HMO's, doctors now share their records with each other and the HMOs. If you have ever applied for life, health or disability insurance, chances are good that the insurance companies will use the Medical Information Bureau to find out if you have any serious conditions that may affect how long you'll live. Information from your medical records may influence your credit, admission to educational institutions, employment, your ability to get health insurance, and the rate you pay for coverage... Right now, without your knowledge, your health records are sometimes perused by employers, insurance companies, drug manufacturing companies, medical professionals, and the government. In addition making sure that your file is accurate, you can also take action to safeguard some of your personal medical privacy"
You can get this record by calling MIB at 866-692-6901
Note that for all of these things above, you will need to prove rigorously that you are who you say you are. Usually, in addition to name and so forth this involves your SSN, your current and prior address.
Ok, so all this is the basics on protecting yourself. This is all information about YOU that you are entitled to by law. I always found it reprehensible that companies keep information on me that I can't have access to. The gall of it! Ever since I went into a bank to open a checking account, and the teller pulled up information on me on her screen, but WOULDN'T show it to me I have been ferocious about this sort of stuff. Below are some more useful links on the net, and some other good rules of common sense that if you follow these you will almost gaurentee you are protected against ID theft. At least, much more than most people are!
Thanks,
Alarik
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Here are some informative and useful links on MIB, credit protection, etc...:
http://www.mib.com/html/request_your_record.html
http://www.yourcredit.com/disclosure/MIBprivacy.jsp
http://www.yourcredit.com/fraud/identity_theft3.jsp
http://www.yourcredit.com/fraud/scamsFTC.jsp
http://www.waddell-maganlaw.com/medinbur.html
http://www.carreonandassociates.com/articles/mib.htm
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Here's a dump from a good site (
http://www.yourcredit.com/fraud/identity_theft3.jsp) with lots of other good tips and common sense rules to follow:
How You Can Protect Yourself
The following will help improve your chances to avoid identity theft:
Minimize the amount of information a thief can get, if you lose your wallet or purse:
Unless it is absolutely necessary, do not carry the following items with you:
Credit cards that you do not use regularly
Your Social Security card
Your birth certificate
Your passport
Minimize the amount of your personal information which is easily obtainable:
Remove your name from the "pre ;approved offers of credit and marketing" lists of the major credit bureaus.
The "Opt -Out" Hotline for each reporting agency: Experian (formerly TRW), Equifax and Trans Union is:
"Opt ;Out" Hotline: 1-888-567-8688
Sign up for the Direct Marketing Association's Mail and Telephone Preference Services. This will assure that your name is added to computerized name deletion lists used by nationwide marketers.
Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735
Telephone Preference Service
P.O. Box 9014
Farmingdale, NY 11735
Have your name and address removed from telephone directories and reverse directories.
Cancel any unused credit card accounts.
Always take your credit card receipt with you when you complete a transaction.
Retain your credit card receipts to check against your monthly statements.
Never discard credit card receipts, or carbons, in a public trash container.
Shred credit card receipts, or carbons, before you discard them in your garbage at home.
If a new, or reissued, credit card doesn't arrive when you expect it should, immediately contact the issuer.
When you order new checks, pick them up at the bank, do not have them delivered to your home.
Whenever you close a bank account, destroy all unused checks immediately.
If your bank, or credit card issuer sends you courtesy checks, either destroy them or store them in a secure location.
Mail your paid bills from the post office, not from home, or any street corner mailbox.
Install a locked mailbox at home.
Keep a list of all vital credit card and banking information in a secure place, or sign up for a credit card protection service.
In the event you prefer to keep your own records, do not keep the list in your wallet.
The list should include:
All account numbers;
All expiration dates; and,
Telephone numbers for the banks' or card issuers' customer service and fraud departments.
Never provide information regarding your credit card number, Social Security number, birthday, mother's maiden name, etc. over the phone to anyone unless:
You have a trusted relationship with the company; and,
You initiated the phone call.
Obtain your credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies at least twice a year.
You can purchase a credit report directly from each credit reporting agency, or you can visit our
www.credit.com site and obtain a free credit report.
Review all accounts for accuracy.
Make sure that you are aware of every account.
Check to see if there is any unusual activity indicating possible fraud.
For extra protection when creating passwords, or personal identification numbers (PINS), do not use:
Your birthdate
your middle name
your pet's name
the last four digits of your Social Security Number
consecutive numbers
other information easily discoverable by identity thieves
Ask banks to add extra security protection to your account verification process.
Many will permit you to use an additional code (a word, or number) when accessing your account. The code you designate should be more creative than your mother's maiden name.
Do not write down your list of passwords on anything that you carry with you. Commit them to memory.
When using an ATM machine or phone card, shield your hand.
Your Social Security Number is one of the, if not "the," most sensitive pieces of personal information about you. It should be released only when necessary.
It is as private as your net worth and tax information;
It is the gatekeeper to your credit and bank accounts; and,
It is an identity thief's lottery ticket.
It should never be printed on your checks.
It should never be printed on your resume.
It should not be written on the back of any of your checks by a salesperson.
Carefully review all credit card and telephone bills, especially cellular phone bills, for unauthorized use.
Shred all personal information, especially pre ;approved credit offers, before you discard it in the garbage.
You must not allow the following information to be reconstructed:
"Pre ;approved" credit card offers
credit card, or ATM, receipts
phone, or other utility, bills
voided checks
Always keep canceled checks in a locked, preferably fire ;proof, storage container.
OT: Identity theft
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