Preventing Identity Theft

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By By Herb Weisbaum

Summary

Half of all ID theft is committed by someone the victim knows, and there are simple steps you can take to protect yourself.

Story Published: Feb 8, 2005 at 1:50 AM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 1:51 AM PDT

Preventing Identity Theft
SEATTLE - Can you imagine what it's like for someone to steal your identity? Last year about 9-million people found out.

They became the latest victims of identity theft, now the number one consumer fraud in this country. It's estimated that ID thieves made off with $52 billion last year.

This may come as a shocker—experts say half of all identity theft is committed by someone you know: a friend, family member, co-worker, neighbor, or someone working in your house.

To reduce your chances of becoming a victim you need to prevent access to your personal information.

  • Don't leave a checkbook on your desk or in your drawer at work.

  • Keep your passwords hidden-even in your home-and change them frequently.

  • Shred all documents that contain personal information.

  • Guard your computer with anti-virus and anti-spyware software and make sure you have a firewall to guard against hackers (See Herb's tip on protecting your computer from hackers)

  • Guard your personal information, especially your bank account numbers and Social Security Number. Don't give this information in response to an e-mail (no matter how legitimate it looks) or to some unknown caller on the phone.

  • Some ID thieves target the mail. So, if your incoming mail sits in the box all day, consider getting a locked mailbox. Use a Postal Service mailbox for your outgoing mail, especially letters with checks or sensitive documents.

You want to be watching for any signs of unauthorized transactions that could signal that you’ve been targeted by an identity thief. Check your bank account and credit card statements every month.

If you have online access, you can do this more frequently. If you find anything suspicious, report it right away.

You also want to get a copy of your credit report at least once a year to check for suspicious activity (such as credit cards you did not apply for).

Those of us who live in Washington State can now get a free credit report once a year from Experian, Equifax and Trans-Union.

You might want to do what I did. Get a report from one of the big 3 credit bureaus. If everything looks OK, get a second one in about 4 months and the third 4 months after that.

By doing this, you’ll be checking your account, for free, three times a year. (See Herb’s tip on free credit reports).

For More Information:

ID Theft Tops List of Consumer Complaints

ID Theft IQ Test

Understanding Identity Theft

Identity Theft Resource Center

ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name