• Ask your bank, doctor’s office, other businesses and your employer how they use and protect your personal information.
• Never carry your Social Security card, Social Security number, birth certificate or passport unless necessary.
• Do not put your address, telephone number or driver’s license number on a credit card sales receipt.
• Social Security numbers or phone numbers should not be put on checks.
• Identifying information should not be given over the phone or the Internet to someone you do not know or on a cellular or cordless phone.
• Shred all personal documents before placing them in the trash!
• If your state uses your Social Security number as your driver’s license number, ask for another number. Financial Information
• Get a copy of your credit report every year.
• Keep your financial records out of sight. Burglars are just as interested in credit cards, bank accounts and investment statements as they are in your jewelry and other valuables.
• Check monthly credit card statements for charges you did not make. If monthly statements do not arrive in the mail call the lender immediately.
• Keep a list, in a safe place, of all credit cards and bank accounts including the account numbers, phone numbers and expiration dates. Only use your credit card on the Internet if it will be encrypted.
• Shred financial or confidential information such as credit card pre-approvals, credit card receipts, etc.
• If you have credit cards you do not use, store them in a safe place. Cancel the accounts if you will not use them again. Cut up old credit cards before discarding them.
• Carry only the credit cards you plan to use.
• When you have applied for a new credit card, keep your eye on the mail and the calendar. If the card does not arrive within the appropriate time, call the credit card company.
• Do not use your mother’s maiden name as a password for accounts. Make one up.
• Unless your mailbox is secure, mail payments at the post office and pick up new checks at your bank.
• If you are not interested in pre-approved credit offers, opt-out using the telephone number in our resource section.

Despite your best efforts to protect yourself, you have become a victim. Now what? The following steps should be taken immediately and at the same time to best ensure your protection.

Report the crime to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC collects complaints about identity theft from consumers and stores them in a secure online database called the Consumer Sentinel that is available to law enforcement agencies worldwide. The FTC provides information on ways to resolve problems resulting from identity theft and refers individuals to various private and government agencies for further action.

Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20580
1-877-IDTHEFT
http://www.consumer.gov/section/scams-and-identity-theft

Ask utility companies (local and long-distance telephone service providers, gas, electric and water companies) to watch out for anyone ordering services in your name. If someone has ordered services in your name, cancel those accounts. If you are having trouble with falsified accounts, contact your state Public Utility Commission.

If you detect fraudulent use of your social security number, report it to the SSA. The SSA does not generally take action unless there is a high dollar amount, workplace impersonation or crimes committed in your name. They will only change your SSN if you fit their fraud victim criteria.

Social Security Administration
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235
1-800-269-0271 (fraud hotline)
http://www.ssa.gov