The three companies have set up a central Web
site, toll-free phone number and mailing address through which
you can order your annual free report. Visit annualcreditreport.com,
call (877) 322.8228 or write to Annual Credit Report Request Service,
P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You must mail an Annual Credit
Report Request form to this address, which you can obtain at ftc.gov/credit.
Do not contact the companies individually - they are only providing
free reports through one of these methods of contact.
You
can order all three reports at the same time or order them separately.
The best strategy is to order one report every four months - that
way, you can check your credit three times a year, instead of just
once a year. Another strategy is to sign up for credit watch services,
which for an annual fee will alert you to any activity in your credit
file.
Minimize
the identification information and the number of credit and ATM cards
you carry with you in your wallet or purse. Only carry what you'll
actually need.
Make
a photocopy of the entire contents of what you do carry in your
wallet and keep it in a safe place. This way, you will
know exactly what was in your wallet if it is ever lost or stolen.
Copy both sides of your driver's license and credit cards so that
you have all the information (primarily account numbers and toll-free
phone numbers) you need to cancel cards and order replacements.
Never
give out your Social Security number without first asking what happens
if you don't give it. Usually, it's not really required.
Don't
use your mother's real maiden name or your real city of birth as
identifies. Make up fake names instead.
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Purchase a personal document shredder
to shred discarded documents containing any personal information -
old bank, credit card or brokerage statements, tax forms, insurance/medical
claims, unused "courtesy" or "convenience" checks,
etc. For maximum security, choose a crosscut shredder - it's more
expensive, but shreds documents more thoroughly.
Hold
onto your credit card, debit card and ATM receipts until you can
properly dispose of them at home when you no longer need
them. Don't just throw them away in a public wastebasket - or worse,
just leave them behind in the ATM.
Never
let your credit card out of your sight, even at restaurants.
Through a process known as "skimming," waiters run your
card through a small device called a skimmer that collects and stores
the card information, which waiters often sell to thieves for as
much as $50 per card.
Pay
attention to your billing cycles and follow up with creditors
if your bills don't arrive as scheduled. Also be sure to review
billing statements carefully for any unauthorized credit card use.
Close
any credit accounts that you no longer use. This includes
all accounts with banks, credit card companies, utilities, Internet
service providers, etc.
Do not give out any personal information
over the phone, through the mail (including e-mail) or over the
Internet unless you have initiated the contact with a trusted or
known party.
Guard your mailbox from theft.
Deposit outgoing mail (especially bill payments) in post office
collection boxes or at your local post office - instead of in your
mailbox with the flag up - and promptly remove all mail from your
mailbox after it has been delivered. If you're planning to be away
from home and can't retrieve your mail, ask a neighbor to collect
your mail, or better yet, have the postal service hold your mail.
Don't
have any checks sent to your mailbox. If it's available,
use direct deposit instead, or have checks sent to a secure post
office box. And don't have new blank checks sent to an unsecure
mailbox - pick them up at your bank instead.
Stop
delivery of most junk mail (including pre-approved credit
offers) by writing to the Direct Marketing Association, DMA Mail
Preference Service, Box 643, Carmel, New York, 10512. Or visit dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist
where you can fill out an online form to stop most junk mail for
a $5 fee.
You
can stop most telemarketing phone calls by registering with the
national Do Not Call system. Call 888-382-1222 or visit donotcall.gov
online.
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Abagnale's Top 10 Tips
Frank
Abagnale, a respected authority on identity theft and a reformed
identity thief who was the subject of the movie "Catch
Me If You Can," offers these 10 tips for protecting yourself
from identity theft:
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Guard your Social Security number carefully.
-
Monitor your credit report by obtaining a free
copy of your report each year.
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Buy and use a crosscut shredder for your old bank and credit
card statements and pre-approved credit offers.
-
Remove your name from direct marketing and telemarketing
lists.
-
Limit what you carry in your wallet to only the cards you
absolutely need.
-
Make a duplicate record of the entire contents of your wallet.
-
Mail all bill payments from a safe location, not from your
home mailbox, where they can easily be stolen.
-
Monitor your Social Security activity regularly by ordering
your Social Security earnings and benefits statement once
a year.
-
Review your credit card statements carefully each month
in search of fraudulent charges, and close any card accounts
that you don't use.
-
Never give your credit card or personal information out
over the phone unless you initiated the call and trust the
business.
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When you order personal checks from Hancock Bank, have only your first
initial and last name printed on the checks. If your checkbook
is stolen, the thief will not know how to sign your full name.
Never
have your Social Security number pre-printed on your personal checks.
Also, have your work (instead of home) phone number and address
printed on your checks, or preferably, a post office box number
if you have one.
If
you pay your credit card bill by check, write only the last four
digits of your account number in the subject line of the check,
rather than the entire number. The credit card company
knows the other numbers, and you avoid revealing the entire number
to anyone who handles your check.
If
you live in Louisiana, you can "freeze" access to your
credit file, which effectively denies anyone else trying
to apply for credit in your name from doing so. Louisiana is one
of only 10 states that allow freezing of credit files, for which
each credit bureau charges $10, plus another $10 to "thaw"
your file if you're applying for credit. Congress is considering
a law to allow credit freezes nationwide.
Keep
your telephone number unlisted. Your phone number is
one of the key pieces of information companies may use to verify
your identity.
Ask
to receive electronic versions of bills and account statements,
instead of paper.
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