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There will never be another you?
The old love song from the 1960's insisted there would never be another you. But the 1990's brought in a twist to that thought; when people began stealing the identities of other people for all the wrong reasons.
"He who steals my purse, steals trash. But he who steals my good name, steals all that I have," said Shakespeare's Falstaff.
The modern version of Shakespeare's words has a twist as well. When someone steals your name, they also steal your purse. That purse might well be bottomless as well, as good credit could quickly mean a fortune for such a thief.
Why did your author chose to write on this subject?
Last Thursday I accompanied a family member to another bank to take out a certificate of deposit in a bank offering much higher rates of interest than was available in the bank in our home town. This individual had never had an account in this bank, so they had to provide several pieces of identification when opening the account. After we returned home, the bank called. They reported that when doing credit checks, they found a person in Chicago was using the same social security number as the one reported by the family member. Our first response was to begin research into what to do about this problem before a good credit record was ruined. This article is an attempt to share what we learned.
What will you do to prevent fraud involving your social security number?
Most of us have heard this over and over, but it still bears repeating. Never give your social security, bank, or credit account numbers to anyone. That good advice in the last sentence is not possible, so just remember to be careful when using those sensitive numbers. You have to submit social security numbers to apply for a job, and buying things online usually involve bank or credit card account numbers. The trick here is to prevent sharing those numbers any more than necessary. Many reports have been made of people who make calls claiming to be bank representatives needing to know your sensitive numbers. Verify in some way that these callers are really representatives in some way. One way is to ask the caller to give you their phone and extension. A quick check on google.com or switchboard.com should verify if that number is indeed part of that system. You could then call back and provide the correct number if necessary. To re-use an oft-quoted President Reagan quote "Trust but verify.". President Reagan was referring to the Russians when stating that wise advice, but it applies to almost all things at all times in this world.
If you purchase items on the Internet, you can also check with your credit card companies before releasing your number. They can inform you if the businesses have been guilty of fraud with their company in the past. Since you are only responsible for $50 of charges on a credit card bill if fraud is involved, the companies have a vested interest in preventing this kind of abuse. Perhaps the credit insurance offered by most credit card companies is worthwhile if you have a habit of dealing with people you do not trust.
Don't let people intimidate you!
Your author has been very rude in the past when dealing with people on the phone who ask for a social security number. Even legitimate companies have at time asked for this information when it is not needed. One on-line brokerage company once insisted on using the social security number as an identifier for logging on to their website. It took some strong words to insist that information would not be given. The company then allowed another identifier, proving the use of the number was not really needed. It is sad to think we have to be almost abusive at times to stand up for our rights, but in this current world it is sometimes necessary. People without manners and courtesy just have to be treated the same way, contrary to what we think is correct.
What will you do to correct the problem?
A good starting place to find information if you suspect Identify theft involving your social security number is the Internet web page found in the underlined link in this sentence. The information included in that site includes toll-free numbers to report identify theft to the federal trade commission, as well as toll-free numbers to request credit reports and place a fraud alert on your account. A fraud alert will cause the credit bureau to contact you directly to report anyone trying to obtain credit using your social security number or name. You can then use this information to ask for a free credit report from the three major credit-reporting companies. One free report can be requested per year, but even if you have to pay for a report, it could be money well spent if someone is trying to steal your good name.
I hope this article will be useless to you, which would mean nobody ever tries to use your name for profit. But if you are one of the unlucky targeted ones, fight back with this information immediately!
Reference Information: How can I report that someone is using my Social Security number?
You should file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by:
- Internet: www.consumer.gov/idtheft
- Telephone: 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338)
- TTY: 202-326-2502
To fix your credit record:
- Call the creditors who approved the credit (follow up with a letter).
- File a police report.
- Contact the fraud department of the major credit bureaus. Ask:
- To have a flag placed on your record, requiring creditors to contact you before approving additional credit using your name and number;
- How long your account will be flagged and how you can extend the flag, if necessary; and
- To have a statement added to your credit report -- include your name, explain the problem and provide a telephone number where someone can call you.
Request a copy of your credit report from each major credit bureau and check to see if it contains any entries you do not know about. If you are denied credit, you may be entitled to a free copy of your report.
The major credit reporting agencies are:
Equifax
www.equifax.com
Report fraud:
1-800-525-6285
Order a credit report:
1-800-685-1111
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian
www.experian.com
Report fraud:
1-888-397-3742
Order a credit report:
1-888-EXPERIAN
(1-888-397-3742)
P.O. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013-0949
TransUnion
www.tuc.com
Report fraud:
1-800-680-7289
Order a credit report:
1-800-916-8800
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834
ŠJohn Dappert 2004
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