Identity Theft

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the US. Over 10 million identity theft victims in the US. An identity is stolen every 4 seconds in the US. The average cost to restore a stolen identity is $8,000. Victims spend an average of 600 hours recovering from this crime. This is serious and can cause many problems. There are things you can do to prevent this.

Preventative Action

  1. DO NOT give out your personal information, social security number, account numbers, etc. to anyone calling to offer you "a great deal" or a "major credit card". If this happens, ask them to send you an written application in the mail. If they refuse, tell them you are not interested and hang up.
  2. Never leave transaction receipts at ATM machines, on counters at financial institutions, or at gasoline pumps.
  3. Don’t carry your Social Security card or birth certificate--leave them in a secure location.
  4. Don’t disclose credit card or other financial account numbers on a Web site unless the site offers a secure transaction.
  5. Match your credit card receipts against your monthly bills and check your monthly financial statements for accuracy.
  6. Report lost or stolen credit cards immediately.
  7. Closely monitor the expiration dates on your credit cards and contact the issuer if you don’t receive a replacement prior to the expiration date.
  8. Watch for your monthly financial statements and bills. If you don’t get them when expected, contact the sender.

If you are a Victim of Identity Theft

  1. Notify the Police Department as soon as possible.
  2. Notify your financial institutions, credit card companies, and other creditors as soon as possible.
  3. Notify the credit reporting bureaus.(See Resources Links on the right.)