A guide to avoiding identity theft

Susan Hugus, an authority on identity theft, provides Cape Businesses with valuable hints on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

Shred all documents that have important numbers, such as Social Security numbers, credit card and bank receipts, checks and statements, investment account statements, and employment pay stubs, when they are no longer needed.
Do not give out your Social Security number unless it is needed for a legitimate reason. It should be used when preparing your taxes or reporting income, applying for a job, asking for a credit report or applying for a driver’s license in Massachusetts. The Social Security number should never be used for identification.
Obtain a copy of your credit report every year from all three credit-reporting agencies. Massachusetts residents are allowed one free credit report from each one of these agencies each year.
Ask the state to change your Social Security number on your driver’s license to a state ID number. As of last November, you can trade in your current driver’s license for a new state-of-the-art, tamper-resistant license.
When you are applying for any financial account that requires your Social Security number, such as a bank loan or credit card, ask that your number be truncated or obliterated on the application.
If possible, change passwords on accounts to less obvious ones. Do not use your mother’s maiden name, date of birth, phone number, any part of the Social Security number, pet’s names, or any common combinations of numbers, such as 1234.
Memorize all PIN numbers and never carry them with you.
When making a purchase with a check, never allow the store to use a credit card number to verify your check or for identification.
When writing checks or signing important documents, use a pen that contains a gel-type ink. This ink is considered to be counterfeit-proof.
When traveling by car to an area that you do not know, take your car registration with you when you park on the street or in a parking garage.
Watch for e-mail ‘phishing’ attacks purported to be from banks or other financial organizations. Do not give any personal information on the Web or over the phone to any individual or organization you do not recognize.
Do not leave mail with important personal numbers for the postal worker to take to the post office from your mailbox.
If you receive a call from a person claiming to be from the fraud department of a VISA or MasterCard company wanting to verify your credit card information for any purpose, be very suspicious. What scam artists are looking for is the three-digit number on the back of the card. If this happens, call your credit card company immediately and do not wait for your statement, as the caller wants you to do.
Know when to expect a new credit card and watch for it in the mail.
Do not use an analog cordless or cell phone for important calls. If your call is confidential, use only a landline phone. Even if you have digital cell phone, realize that once the call reaches the phone company your conversations could be made available to some employees or law enforcement.
When sending in a payment by check, only put the last four numbers of the account on the memo line.
Before you travel outside the United States, inform all credit card companies you intend to use as to the dates, times and countries that you will visit during your stay.
Use only one credit card for phone or Internet purchases. Keep the credit limit small, such as $500, so that losses will be small.
If you find a fraudulent charge on your credit card bill, when calling, ask to speak to the company’s fraud investigation department instead of a customer service person after calling the number on your bill.
Do not leave ATM receipts at the machine and shred them when no longer needed.
Use only ATM machines that have a connection to a bank or business group that you know. At this time, anyone can buy ATM equipment.
Always log off after using public Internet-access computers in libraries, Internet cafes and other public places. Also, close the browser that you have been using to surf the Web.
Always have a firewall and anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your own computer.
Do not pay bills, bank or conduct other financial transactions on public computers.
Some experts recommend unplugging the computer’s cable to a high-speed Internet connection or phone line when you are not using the Web.
Do not use a debit card for Web purchases.
Avoid using automatic login features on standalone PCs and especially on laptops.
Try to keep financial information off of your hard drive. Store all personal financial documents on removable disks such as Zip disks or floppy disks.
Shred all documents that have important numbers, such as Social Security numbers, credit card and bank receipts, checks and statements, investment account statements, and employment pay stubs, when they are no longer needed.

When fraud occurs …

Report the identity theft to the local police. Keep a copy of the police report and the investigator’s name and phone number for yourself since you may need it to prove your case to creditors and merchants. You also will need the local police department’s report to qualify for an extended fraud alert, which can be placed on all three credit reporting agencies. You may need it for a lawsuit to recover losses or clear your name. The report must be made to the police department in the area where you live.
Keep a log that records the effort you make to correct your credit history. The log should show what you did, whom you spoke to on the phone and the name of the person and/or company with which you had any written correspondence. The log also should show all dates and times. Keep all copies of any information connected with the theft. Certified mail records with a return postcard with the person’s signature who accepted the mail should be kept with your log. Keep a record of all your expenses to clear your credit record. Check with your state’s laws concerning the financial losses that you are able to collect.
File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-ID-THEFT or (202) 326-2502. If the fraud occurs through the Internet, file a complaint with the FBI Internet Fraud Complaint Center.
Do not wait to contact the three credit reporting agencies. Call all three agencies fraud hotline numbers to get addresses and instructions. TransUnion: (800) 680-7289; Experian: (888) EXPERIAN; and Equifax: (800) 525-6285. Ask to have your account flagged with a fraud alert. This asks merchants not to approve any new credit without your explicit approval. All three credit reporting agencies have Web pages to guide you through the process.
Contact the Social Security Administration if your Social Security number has been used to obtain a job or apply for credit. The SSA Fraud Hotline number is (800) 269-0271, or write SSA Fraud Hotline, P.O. Box 17768, Baltimore, MD 21235; e-mail: oig.hotline@ssa.gov.
Contact the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to see if a new license has been requested or issued in your name.
Contact the Attorney General Consumer Hotline via their Web site at www.ago.state.ma.us or (617) 727-8400 and the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs Web site at www.ago.state.ma.us or (888) 283-3757.

There are three types of cell phone fraud:

Cloning occurs when the electronic serial number, which is a unique number programmed into the phone by the manufacturer, and the mobile identification number, which is used by the cell phone company to identify the customer, are obtained by someone who wants to use your phone number. These two numbers are captured and reprogrammed into another phone; while cloning is on the decline since the industry has developed authentication codes, it still can occur. If you receive frequent wrong numbers or hang-ups, report this to the cell phone company right away. occurs when the electronic serial number, which is a unique number programmed into the phone by the manufacturer, and the mobile identification number, which is used by the cell phone company to identify the customer, are obtained by someone who wants to use your phone number. These two numbers are captured and reprogrammed into another phone; while cloning is on the decline since the industry has developed authentication codes, it still can occur. If you receive frequent wrong numbers or hang-ups, report this to the cell phone company right away.
Theft of cell phones is on the rise today. Lock your phone with a locking security code so no one can use it. Do not leave the phone unattended or in a car. If you have to leave it in a car, hide the phone and use the phone’s lock code. Report the loss of phone immediately. of cell phones is on the rise today. Lock your phone with a locking security code so no one can use it. Do not leave the phone unattended or in a car. If you have to leave it in a car, hide the phone and use the phone’s lock code. Report the loss of phone immediately.
Subscription fraud occurs when your name is use to sign up for a new cell phone service. Watch your credit report to see if any cell phone company asks for your information or if a cell phone account has gone to a collection agency. Both actions will be noted on your credit report. The thief will change the address so you will not know that this has happen until much later. occurs when your name is use to sign up for a new cell phone service. Watch your credit report to see if any cell phone company asks for your information or if a cell phone account has gone to a collection agency. Both actions will be noted on your credit report. The thief will change the address so you will not know that this has happen until much later.

How to obtain your credit report

Visit the Annual Credit Report Web site (www.annualcreditreport.com) or call 1-877-322-8228 or fill out a special request form, which can be obtained at www.annualcreditreport.com.

When you use this Web site, you will not have to contact each of the three credit reporting agencies separately. After Sept. 1, 2005, Massachusetts residents will be eligible to receive a copy of their credit report free using the Annual Credit Report service. Prior to Sept. 1, 2005, you will have to pay for the credit reports you request.

Susan Hugus is a librarian at the Jones Library in Amherst, Mass. She has become an expert on the subject of identity fraud. If you have any questions for her, please send them to us at Cape Business and we will direct them her

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