Frequently Asked Questions About Identity Theft

1. What should I do to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft?

Passwords
Place passwords on your credit card, phone and bank accounts and renew your passwords periodically. However, make sure that you stay away from those passwords that can be easily cracked, like your mother’s maiden name, your birth date or the last four digits of your SSN. Always secure your passwords and be careful where you leave them in your house.

Attentiveness
If you are asked about your personal information over the phone or the Internet, don’t give it out unless you can fully trust the other person. Ask questions how the information will be secured and if others have access to it. While identity thieves can be very convincing liars, confirm that you are dealing with a representative of a legitimate organization. You can even simply double check by asking the person’s name and calling the customer service back. As silly as it may sound, guard your trash from theft. Empty your mailbox promptly and deposit outgoing mail in the post office instead of an unsecured mailbox. If you leave town and you foresee yourself not being able to pick up your mail, notify the post office and ask for a vacation hold.

Your personal computer
Install and update the virus protection software on a regular basis in order to prevent your computer from sending out files or information stored on your computer. Limit file downloads from strangers and look for security repairs online. Install firewalls for high-speed connections, which limits uninvited access to the computer. Whenever you send information via online transactions, look for the lock icon on the status bar, which tells you that your transmission is secure. While laptops are convenient for many reasons, make sure that you avoid the automatic login feature and/or always log off properly. If you switch laptops and you thought you transferred and erased all data from the old hard drive, double check with a “wipe” utility program, overwriting the hard drive and making files unrecoverable.

2. What about the information that is already out there?

The safest bet is to remove your name from the marketing lists of credit reporting bureaus
1.CSC Credit Services (Equifax Regional Office)
P.O. Box 674402
Houston, TX 77267-4402
1-800-759-5979
2.Experian (TRW)
P.O. Box 919
Allen, TX 75013
1-800-353-0809
3.Trans Union
P.O. Box 97328
Jackson, MS 39738
1-800-680-7293

Those are primarily the ones responsible for the pre-approved offers of credit card offers in your mail, which, if you throw them into the garbage, can easily be picked up by possible identity thieves who then use the information to order credit cards in your name.
Also, remove your name from the Direct Marketing Association lists:

Direct Marketing Association
Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008

Direct Marketing Association
Telephone Preference Services
P.O. Box 9014
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9014

If at all possible, remove unnecessary information from your checks ( SSN, driver’s license number, as well as telephone number) and to be extra careful, don’t have your checks returned to your home address, but pick them up at your local branch instead.

3. What is the identity theft statement?

Once you have become a victim of identity theft, you can use the identity theft statement to quickly notify financial institutions, credit card issuers and others that your identity has been stolen and that your information is being used illegally. The statement provides the information necessary in order to investigate your case and correct your records.
How to fill out the identity theft statement:
Part One: Identity theft statement: Contains general information about you and the theft
Part Two: Statement of unauthorized account activity: Contains specific information about accounts and activities. This part is being completed on a separate basis for each company and contains only the information relevant to the institution you are notifying.
Once the form is completed make COPIES, not originals, of supporting documents and keep a copy each time you send something out.

4. Should I cancel my credit card once my identity has been stolen?

No. Identity theft can cause disarray in your credit worthiness and prevent you from other credit extensions. Keep your existing accounts and in addition to notifying the affected accounts, also place a fraud alert on your other accounts. Request that your address can not be changed without a written consent of yours from your present address. At the same time, it is advisable that you switch the password information your creditors have on file for you.

5. What are the penalties for identity theft?

Identity theft is considered a class C felony if the information is sold with the intent of taking someone else’s identity, especially for financial gain. If the crimes has been committed not for financial gain, but simply for the purpose of forgery or theft, it will be considered a gross misdemeanor. People under the age of twenty-one who have stolen and/or altered a driver’s license or identification card in order to misrepresent age, may be charged with misdemeanor.

6. Where can I find out more about identity theft

There are a number of private as well as government organizations that provide a vast amount of information on identity theft.
Non-government organizations:
National Association of Attorneys Generals
National Fraud Information Center
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
Center for Democracy and Technology
Better Business Bureau – Alert
Better Business Bureau – Eastern Massachusetts,Maine,Vermont
American Association of Retired Persons
National Consumer League

Government organizations:

United States Secret Service
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Trade Commission – Consumer Alert
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
United States Postal Inspection Service

Contact our Iowa Identity Theft Lawyer Now!

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