IDENTITY THEFT

Preventive Tips:

Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery. If you are going out of town, have your mail delivery stopped, or have a neighbor retrieve it for you.
Put outgoing mail in post office collection mailboxes or at your local post office. Do not leave in unsecured mail receptacles.
Never give personal information over the telephone, such as your Social Security number, date of birth, mother’s maiden name, credit card number, or bank PIN code, unless you initiated the phone call. Protect this information and release it only when absolutely necessary.
Shred pre-approved credit applications. Credit card receipts, bills and other financial information you don’t want before discarding them in the trash or recycling bin.
Empty your wallet of extra credit cards and ID’s or better yet, cancel the ones you do not use & maintain a list of the ones you do.
Order your credit report from the three credit bureaus once a year to check for fraudulent activity or other discrepancies.
Never leave receipts at bank machines, bank counters, trash receptacles, or unattended gasoline pumps.
Keep track of all your paperwork. When you no longer need it, destroy it.
Memorize your Social Security number and all of your passwords. Do not record them on any cards or on anything in your wallet or purse.
Sign all new credit cards upon receipt.
Save all credit card and bank receipts and match them against your monthly bills.
Be conscious of normal routine financial statements. Contact the sender if they are not received in the mail.
Notify your credit card companies and financial institutions in advance of any change of address or phone number.
Never put your credit card or any other financial account number on a postcard or on the outside of an envelope.
Some banks offer to scan your account's checks and maintain them online. This will allow you to review your account without having the checks mailed to you.
Photocopy the credit cards and other important documents (both front and back) that you keep in your wallet. Store this photocopy in a safe place where only you have access to it. If your wallet is lost or stolen, it will speed up the cancellation of your credit cards and prevent further liability for you.


Preventive Tips:

Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery. If you are going out of town, have your mail delivery stopped, or have a neighbor retrieve it for you. Put outgoing mail in post office collection mailboxes or at your local post office. Do not leave in unsecured mail receptacles. Never give personal information over the telephone, such as your Social Security number, date of birth, mother’s maiden name, credit card number, or bank PIN code, unless you initiated the phone call. Protect this information and release it only when absolutely necessary. Shred pre-approved credit applications. Credit card receipts, bills and other financial information you don’t want before discarding them in the trash or recycling bin. Empty your wallet of extra credit cards and ID’s or better yet, cancel the ones you do not use & maintain a list of the ones you do. Order your credit report from the three credit bureaus once a year to check for fraudulent activity or other discrepancies. Never leave receipts at bank machines, bank counters, trash receptacles, or unattended gasoline pumps. Keep track of all your paperwork. When you no longer need it, destroy it. Memorize your Social Security number and all of your passwords. Do not record them on any cards or on anything in your wallet or purse. Sign all new credit cards upon receipt. Save all credit card and bank receipts and match them against your monthly bills. Be conscious of normal routine financial statements. Contact the sender if they are not received in the mail. Notify your credit card companies and financial institutions in advance of any change of address or phone number. Never put your credit card or any other financial account number on a postcard or on the outside of an envelope. Some banks offer to scan your account's checks and maintain them online. This will allow you to review your account without having the checks mailed to you. Photocopy the credit cards and other important documents (both front and back) that you keep in your wallet. Store this photocopy in a safe place where only you have access to it. If your wallet is lost or stolen, it will speed up the cancellation of your credit cards and prevent further liability for you.