Your personal identity information may allow an unscrupulous person to open unauthorized charge accounts, or order goods and services and bill them to you without your permission. They may even access your personal or business accounts for withdrawals or purchases, to secure loans, to hide illegal funds, or to remain secluded from law enforcement or gain employment by circumventing criminal background checks. Each of us has personal information worth stealing, and our exposure can be great; however, we can minimize our risk by knowing how to prevent and respond to identity theft.
How Can Someone Get My Information
Your personal identity information is used to process practically every non-cash transaction: ATM machines, bills and receipts thrown in the trash, public records, unsecured mailboxes, stolen pocketbooks, internet transactions, phony notices. The list goes on and on.
How to Prevent People from Getting My Information
While no one is completely safe from identity theft, there are some simple measures that can be taken to help secure your personal information and guard against identity theft. If someone has stolen your information, catching it early is the key!
WHAT to Do If My Information Has Been Stolen
Please remember never confront a criminal yourself. Contact your local law enforcement agency, give them all the information you have about the person who has stolen your information, and ask them to make a report.
To report identity theft, contact:
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at IdentityTheft.gov or call 1-877-438-4338
- The three major credit reporting agencies. Ask them to place fraud alerts and a credit freeze on your accounts.
- The fraud department at your credit card issuers, bank, and other places where you have accounts
If you believe you have experienced tax-related identity theft but have not received a notification from the IRS about it, learn about filing Form 14039. Completing the Identity Theft Affidavit will invalidate a fraudulent return filed using your information.