Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information to establish credit, purchase items, or to borrow money in your name. Unfortunately, more and more Americans today have become victims of identity theft fraud. Here are some tips to help you protect yourself from identity theft:

Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft

• Don't release your financial information such as checking account and credit card numbers, or your Social Security number, to anyone over the phone or email, unless you know the person or organization with which you are dealing. Don't even release that information to someone claiming to be from your bank.
• Report lost or stolen checks or printed deposit slips immediately. Review new deliveries of checks and deposit slips to make sure none have been stolen in transit.
• Notify your bank of suspicious phone inquiries such as those asking for account information to “verify a statement” or “award a prize.”
• Shred financial solicitations, financial statements, or bank statements, before disposing of them.
• Deposit your mail into a secure, official Postal Service collection box rather than at your mail box at home. Thieves may use your outgoing mail to steal your identity.
• If regular bills fail to reach you, call the company to find out why. Someone may have filed a false change of address notice to divert your mail to his or her address.
• If your bills include questionable items, investigate immediately. Questionable items on your bills are often the first sign of identity theft fraud.
• Contact your major credit reporting companies to review your credit file and make certain the information is correct. For a small fee, you can obtain a copy of your credit report at any time. The three major credit bureaus are:

  Equifax	800.685.1111
  Experian	888.397.3742
  TransUnion	800.888.4213

Identity Theft Victims

If you have been a victim of identity theft, you should do the following:

• File a police report, and call the Federal Trade Commission.
• Contact your Bank.
• Request that accounts be closed due to fraud: “closed at consumer's request.”
• Notify any one of the three credit bureau's fraud units. A single call to any of the three bureaus can result in a “security alert” being place at all of the bureaus and a free credit report from each organization.
• Report check theft to check verification companies.
• Check post office for unauthorized change of address requests.
• Follow-up contacts with a letter and keep copies of all correspondence.

Where to Get Help with Identity Theft