Your computer—a gold
mine to identity thieves
Credit Bureaus
University of Colorado Denver
Police Department
Equifax—www.equifax.com
To order your report, call:1- 800-685-1111
Update your virus protection software regularly. Computer viruses can introduce program
code that causes your computer to send out
files or other stored information.
Do not download files sent to you by strangers
or click on hyperlinks from people you don’t
know. Opening a file could expose your system to a computer virus or a program that could
hijack your modem.
Use a firewall program. It will allow you to
stop uninvited guests from accessing your computer. Without it, hackers can take over your
computer and access personal information
stored there.
Use a secure browser—software that encrypts
or scrambles information you send over the
Internet—to guard the security of your on-line
transactions. When submitting information ,
look for the “lock” icon on the browser’s status
bar to be sure your information is secure during
transmission.
Before you dispose of a computer, delete personal information from your hard drive by using a “wipe” program to overwrite the entire
hard drive. It makes files unrecoverable. Deleting files using only the keyboard or mouse
commands allows files to stay on the hard
drive, where they may be easily retrieved.
Look for website privacy policies. They answer questions about maintaining accuracy,
access, security and control of personal information collected by the site, how it will be used
and if it will be provided to third parties.
To report fraud, call: 1-888-766-0008
TDD 1-800-255-0056 and write:
P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian—www.experian.com
To order your report, call: 1-888-397-3724
To report fraud, call: 1-888-397-3724
TDD 1-877-972-0322
TransUnion—www.transunion.com
To order your report, call: 1-877-322-8228
To report fraud, call: 1-800-680-7289/
TDD 1-877-553-7803; fax: 1-714-4476034; email: [email protected] or
write: Fraud Victim Assistance Department, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834
-6790
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL:
WHAT IS IDENTITY THEFT?
Use of your personal
information to commit fraud
or theft.
Around 9 million people have their
identity stolen every year in the US.
University of Colorado Denver
Police Department
Identity theft costs victims on average
about $6,000.
12454 East 19th Place
It takes the average identity theft
victim 40 hours to resolve the
problem.
Mail Stop 409, P.O. Box 6508
Aurora, Colorado 80045-0508
EMERGENCY 9-1-1/ 303-724-4444
All other calls 303-724-2000
How do thieves get your
personal information?
They steal wallets and purses containing your identification and credit and bank
debit cards.
They steal your mail, including your bank and credit card
statements, pre-approved
credit offers, new checks, and tax information.
How identity thieves use
your personal information
They call your credit card issuer and, pretending to
be you, ask to change the mailing address on your
credit card account. The imposter then runs up
charges on your account. Because your bills are
being sent to the new address, it may take some
time before you notice there is a problem.
They look over your shoulder as you make transactions in a practice known as “shoulder surfing.”
They open a new credit card account, using your
name, date of birth and SSN. When they use the
credit card and don’t pay the bills, the delinquent
account is reported on your credit report.
They complete a “change of address” form to divert
your mail to another location.
They establish phone or wireless service in your
name.
They rummage through your trash, or the trash of a
business, for personal data in a practice known as
“dumpster diving.”
They open a bank account in your name and write
bad checks on that account.
They fraudulently obtain your credit report by posing as a landlord, employer or someone else who
may have a legitimate need for, and legal right to,
the information.
They find personal information in your home.
They use personal information you share on the
Internet.
They scam you, often through email, by posing as
legitimate companies or government agencies you
do business with.
They get your information from the workplace in a
practice known as “business record theft” by stealing files out of the offices where you are a customer,
employee, patient or student; bribing employees who
have access to your file; or “hacking” into electronic
files.
They purchase your information from others who
have access to it.
They file for bankruptcy under your name to avoid
paying debts they’ve incurred under your name or
to avoid eviction.
They counterfeit checks or debit cards and drain
your bank account.
They buy cars by taking out auto loans in your
name.
They give your name to the police during an arrest.
If they are released from police custody, but don’t
show up for their court date, an arrest warrant is
issued in your name.
Minimize your risk
Order a copy of your credit report from each of the
three major credit bureaus. Make sure the information is accurate. Do this at lease once a year.
Place passwords on your credit card, bank and
phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your mother’s maiden name, your
birth date, or a series of consecutive numbers.
Secure personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help
or are having service work done in your home.
Ask about information security procedures at work
or school. Find out who has access to your personal information and verify that records are kept
in a secure location. Ask about disposal procedures for those records as well.
Don’t give out personal information over the
phone , through the Internet or in the mail unless
you have initiated the contact and are sure of who
you are dealing with.
Guard your mail and trash from theft Place outgoing mail in a post office collection box. Promptly
remove your mail from your mailbox. Shred all
personal information , such as charge receipts,
copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements,
expired charge cards and credit offers, before putting them in the trash.
Don’t carry your SSN card. Memorize the number
and leave the card in a safe place.
Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work
or school.
Carry only the identification and credit/debit cards
that you actually need.
Sign the back of your card with “Check ID.”
Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up
with creditors if your bills don’t arrive on time.