I.D. THEFT

I.D. Theft is a serious crime.  It occurs when your personal information is stolen
and used without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes.  Identity theft
can cost you time and money.  It can destroy your credit and ruin your good name.

HOW TO PREVENT I.D. THEFT

Shred financial documents.
Protect your social security number,  Do not carry your card with you or write it
down.
Don't give out personal information over the phone, through the E-mail or over
the internet unless you know who you are dealing with.
Use firewalls, anti-spyware and anti-virus software to protect your home computer
or laptop.
Keep your personal information in a secure place and not where someone can
read it, like roommates, outside help or someone working on your house.

HOW TO DETECT FRAUD

Bills that do not arrive as expected.
Unexpected credit cards or account statements.
Denials of credit for no apparent reason.
Calls or letters about purchases that you did not make.

DEFEND YOURSELF

Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-ID-THEFT.

What are the steps I should take if I'm a victim of identity theft?

If you are a victim of identity theft, take the following four steps as soon as
possible, and keep a record with the details of your conversations and copies of
all correspondence.

1. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and review your credit
reports.

Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from opening any more accounts in
your name. Contact the toll-free fraud number of any of the three consumer
reporting companies below to place a fraud alert on your credit report. You only
need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert. The company you
call is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions
of your report, too. If you do not receive a confirmation from a company, you
should contact that company directly to place a fraud alert.

TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance
Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA
30374-0241

Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen,
TX 75013

Continue to check your credit reports periodically, especially for the first year
after you discover the identity theft, to make sure no new fraudulent activity has
occurred.

2. Close the accounts that you know, or believe, have been
tampered with or opened fraudulently.

Call and speak with someone in the security or fraud department of each
company. Follow up in writing, and include copies (NOT originals) of supporting
documents. It's important to notify credit card companies and banks in writing.
Send your letters by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can document
what the company received and when. Keep a file of your correspondence and
enclosures.

3. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

You can file a complaint with the FTC using the online complaint form; or call the
FTC's Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); TTY:
1-866-653-4261; or write Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade
Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580.  Be sure to
call the Hotline to update your complaint if you have any additional information or
problems.

4. File a report with your local police or the police in the community
where the identity theft took place.

Call your local police department and tell them that you want to file a report about
your identity theft.   Ask them if you can file the report in person.   If you cannot,
ask if you can file a report over the Internet or telephone.


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