Did You Know ...
If you think you've become a victim of identity theft or fraud, act immediately to minimize the damage to your personal funds and financial accounts, as well as your reputation.
In the beginning take the following steps:
• Order a copy of your Credit Report from each of the three major Credit bureaus. Your Credit Report contains information on where you work and live, the credit accounts that have been opened in your name, how you pay your bills and whether you’ve been sued, arrested or filed for bankruptcy. Make sure it’s accurate and includes only those activities you’ve authorized. By law, Credit bureaus can charge you no more than $9 for a copy of your Credit Report. See “Credit Reports,” below, for details about removing fraudulent and inaccurate information from your Credit Report.
• Place passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your mother’s maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SSN or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers. When opening new accounts, you may find that many businesses still have a line on their applications for your mother’s maiden name. Use a password instead.
• 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 in your workplace. Find out who has access to your personal information and verify that records are kept in a secure location. Ask about the disposal procedures for those records as well.
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