Preventing ID Theft

Delivered to the NC State Osher Life Long Learning Institute

Transcript

1. IDENTITY THEFT PROTECT YOURSELF
2. WARNING SIGNS • You see withdrawals from your bank account that you can’t explain. • You don’t get your bills or other mail. • Merchants refuse your checks. • Debt collectors call you about debts that aren’t yours. • You find unfamiliar accounts or charges on your credit report. • Medical providers bill you for services you didn’t use. • Your health plan rejects your legitimate medical claim because the records show you’ve reached your benefits limit. • A health plan won’t cover you because your medical records show a condition you don’t have. • The IRS notifies you that more than one tax return was filed in your name, or that you have income from an employer you don’t work for. • You get notice that your information was compromised by a data breach at a company where you do business or have an account.
3. HOW IT HAPPENS • Lost Wallet or Purse • Skimming / recording credit card information from the magnetic stripe • Burglaries • Friends/Family • Shoulder surfing / Cell phone cameras • Fellow employees • Insider theft, rogue employees that steal or sell your information • Database hacking or accidental loss exposing personal data • Keystroke recording • Phishing and other email/phone scams • Purchase – Stolen information for sale on the ‘black market’
4. HOW TO PREVENT IT • Limit access • Carry only what you need (leave checkbook at home) • Ask how and where your information will be used before providing it • Restrict access to credit information • Be aware • Pay attention to environment around you • Monitor your accounts and credit reports • Buy a good paper shredder, use it
5. AT HOME • Keep ID documents and passwords in a secure place • Shred any and all financial records, statements, applications and cards • Don’t put outgoing mail, especially bill payments, in personal curbside mailboxes. Use USPS mailboxes instead • use mail holds, pick it up from the post office
6. ATMS • Disable Visa features • Dont trust family or friends with your card • Look around for cameras • use trusted ATMs • Store credit card and bank customer service numbers on your phone • GIVE IT A TUG
7. CHECKING AND SAVINGS • Transfer checking to savings • Never allow direct draft from your accounts • Dont link your checking or savings account to PayPal • Monitor accounts monthly • Setup alerts • Your bank only communicates to your through snail mail or their authenticated app/ website
8. Images courtesy of RedBox and Consumerist
9. GIVE THAT SLOT A TUG CARD SKIMMERS Images: Brian Krebs, KMGH Denver, Post and Courier Charleston, SC
10. ACTIONS DEPEND ON EXPOSURE LOST WALLET • Social Security Number - treat like identity theft (freeze credit, review credit reports, etc.) • Logins - change the password, account name if possible. Change reused passwords as well. • Credit Cards / Bank Accounts - close account, request new cards • Drivers license - contact DMV, report lost/stolen license, apply for replacement ($13 or free for 70 or older)
11. $100-$300 PER YEAR PROTECTION PROGRAMS • Dedicated Companies - LifeLock, Identity Guard/Protect • Benefits/Membership
 AARP (Equifax)
 COSTCO (CompleteID) • Credit Bureaus - Experian, TransUnion, Equifax Provides: • records monitoring • credit monitoring • medical identity • lost wallet assistance • insurance ($1 million) • fraud alerts
12. DONEC QUIS NUNC
13. DIY PROTECTION • Get free annual credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion • annualcreditreport.com • Stagger your requests every four months from one bureau to the next. • Dispute anything that does not look right • Close accounts you no longer use
14. FRAUD ALERT • Forces creditors to verify your identity. • must be completed on 3 credit reporting agencies • Initial Fraud Alert. If you're concerned about identity theft, but haven't yet become a victim. Valid for 90 days. Example: stolen wallet • Extended Fraud Alert. For victims of identity theft, an extended fraud alert will protect your credit for seven years. • Active Duty Military Alert. For those in the military who want to protect their credit while deployed. Valid for 1 year.
15. IN NORTH CAROLINA FREEZING YOUR CREDIT • lock access to credit file against anyone trying to open up a new account or to get new credit in their name • must be completed on 3 credit reporting agencies • Available in all states • Free for ID Theft Victims, minors (under 16), seniors (62 or over), $5 for others (place, lift, or remove) • no impact on credit cards or other lines of credit • remains until removal requested by consumer.
16. OTHER REPORTING SOURCES • Medical financial history
 Medical Information Bureau (MIB Group): 
 www.mib.com / 1-866-692-6901. • Banking history
 ChexSystems, www.consumerdebit.com / 1-800-262-7771 • Employment history
 www.ChoicePoint.com / 1-877-448-5732 • Insurance claim history
 www.ChoiceTrust.com / 1-866-312-8076.
17. IF YOU ARE A VICTIM • Make copies of relevant documents • Maintain a log of calls/emails/faxes. record names, dates and phone numbers of the people you talked to. • File a police report, provide copies of documents get the report number and a copy of the report • Open a fraud alert with all three credit reporting agencies • Review bank and retirement accounts for fraudulent activity • Contact postal inspector if U.S. mail was involved, this is a felony • Every 3-4 months review your credit report
20. APPLE PAY
22. ALL PUBLIC WIFI IS INSECURE
23. NEVER DIVULGE ANYTHING ON A CALL YOU DID NOT PLACE PHONE CALLS • AT&T U-Verse • Astound Broadband • BroadVoice/ PhonePower • Cablevision/Optimum • Comcast • Frontier • Sonic • SureWest • Time Warner • Ooma Premier • Verizon FiOS • Voipo • Voip.ms • Vonage • 1-Voip, • Wave Broadband. iPhone Hardware