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Steps to take to protect your credit and identity
Should you believe your identity has been stolen or that you are at risk of having your identity stolen, you can follow the Federal Trade Commission's ("FTC's") guidelines on protecting yourself against identity theft. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. First, you should contact your credit and bank card issuers and other financial institutions as soon as possible to review your accounts for unauthorized charges or transactions. If there are unauthorized charges or if you otherwise believe that your card number has been taken by an unauthorized person, you should inform your card issuer on the phone and in writing that the charges were not authorized by you, and you should request that your current card account be closed and a new card issued in your name. You may wish to consider placing a fraud alert on your credit file. A fraud alert tells creditors to contact you before they open any new accounts or change your existing credit accounts. Because creditors seek additional verification from you when a fraud alert is in place on your credit file, one effect of the fraud alert is that it slows the processing time for opening new accounts and making changes on your existing accounts. To place a fraud alert on your credit file, call any one of the three major credit bureaus. As soon as one credit bureau processes your fraud alert, it will notify the other credit bureaus on your behalf to place fraud alerts. All three credit reports will be sent to you, free of charge, for your review.
Even if you do not initially find any suspicious activity on your card accounts, credit reports and/or bank statements, the FTC recommends that you check your credit reports, card charges and financial statements regularly. Victim information sometimes is held for use or shared among a group of thieves at different times. Checking your credit reports, card charges and financial statements periodically can help you spot problems and address them quickly. Once a year you can obtain a free credit report by calling 1- 877-322-8228 or going online to www.annualcreditreport.com. If you find suspicious activity on your accounts or have reason to believe that your personal information is being misused, it may be necessary for you to file a police report and obtain a copy of that police report. Many creditors require the information the police report contains to absolve you of the fraudulent debts. You may also want to file a complaint with the FTC, which will be logged into its database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. To get free information or file a complaint with the FTC, you may call the FTC at 1-877-438-4338, or use the complaint form at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/. How to Put a Security Freeze on Your Credit Files
In addition to your right to request that a fraud alert be put on your credit files, you also may have a right under applicable state law to request in writing that a "security freeze" (also known as a "credit freeze") be put on your credit report. A security freeze prohibits a credit reporting agency from releasing any information from a consumer's credit report without written authorization. However, please be aware that placing a security freeze on your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prevent the timely approval of any requests you make for new loans, credit mortgages, employment, housing or other services. If you have been a victim of identity theft, you have the right to file a police report and obtain a copy of it. If you provide the credit reporting agency with a valid police report, it cannot charge you to place, lift or remove a security freeze. In all other cases, a credit reporting agency may charge you a fee to place, temporarily lift, or permanently remove a security freeze. The fee charged normally ranges from $5-$20; under Massachusetts law, the fee may not exceed $5.00. To place a security freeze on your credit report, you must send a written request to each of the three major consumer reporting agencies identified below by regular, certified or overnight mail at the addresses below:
In order to request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information: 1. Your full name (including middle initial, as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.); 2. Your Social Security number; 3. Date of birth; 4. If you have moved in the past five (5) years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years; 5. Proof of current address such as a current utility bill or telephone bill; 6. A legible photocopy of a government issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, military identification, etc.); 7. If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft; 8. If you are not a victim of identity theft, include payment by check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover only). Do not send cash through the mail. The credit reporting agencies have three (3) business days after receiving your request to place a security freeze on your credit report. The credit bureaus must also send written confirmation to you within five (5) business days and provide you with a unique personal identification number (PIN) or password, or both, that can be used by you to authorize the removal or lifting of the security freeze. To lift the security freeze in order to allow a specific entity or individual access to your credit report, you must call or send a written request to the credit reporting agencies by mail and include proper identification (name, address, and Social Security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze, as well as the identities of those entities or individuals you would like to receive your credit report or the specific period of time you want the credit report available. The credit reporting agencies have three (3) business days after receiving your request to lift the security freeze for those identified entities or for the specified period of time. To remove the security freeze, you must send a written request to each of the three credit bureaus by mail and include proper identification (name, address, and Social Security number) and the PIN number or password provided to you when you placed the security freeze. The credit bureaus have three (3) business days after receiving your request to remove the security freeze. |