__________________________________________Ask the DA

 

I recently received a letter from a fraud analyst at a large student loan company indicating that his company had received several suspicious loan applications via the Internet which resulted from identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as nine million Americans have their identities stolen each year. In light of this, I would like to remind my readers about the importance of minimizing their risk of having their identities stolen.

The FBI and Department of Justice websites suggest some basic steps that can be taken to minimize the risk of being victimized by identity theft or fraud:

1.      When a person calls you at home or work and you do not know the person, NEVER give out any of your personal information.

2.      Do not carry a social security card, birth certificate, passport or extra credit cards, unless necessary.

3.      Buy a cross-cut type shredder. Shred all your important papers, especially old bank statements and bills, credit card receipts, pre-approved credit applications and other financial information.

4.      Check your financial information regularly. Every month, monitor all your bank and credit card statements.

5.      Order your credit report every year from one of the national credit bureaus and review it for any questionable entries.

6.      Update your computer virus software, use a secure browser, and install a firewall program.

7.      Do not put your credit card account number on the Internet (unless it is encrypted on a secured website.)

8.      Keep your PIN number concealed when you use a public telephone or ATM.

9.      Close all unused credit cards or bank accounts.

10.  Put passwords on all your accounts and do not use your mother’s maiden name.

If you have been the victim of identity theft, these are some actions you can take:

1.      Place a fraud alert or freeze on your credit file by contacting one of the national credit bureaus. 

2.      Contact all creditors that may have been affected by the fraudulent use of your name or identifying data and close all tampered accounts.

3.      Contact your local police precinct as well as your local FBI field office, and file a report.

To read more about identity theft and fraud visit: http://www.fbi.gov/.

For additional information visit www.brooklynda.org. To have your questions answered in a future column, send them to asktheda@brooklynda.org

| HOME