For those who were effected by the recent UHS incident:
People who have had personal information stolen are at risk if they do
not take steps to protect their identity. According to a Federal Trade
Commission report, most identity theft involves the illegal use of
credit card, bank, utilities, and other existing accounts.
Fortunately, there are steps, described below, that you can take to
protect yourself and your credit. In addition, extensive information
on personal identity theft and fraud and protective steps you can take
is available on the Web site of the California Office of Privacy
Protection, a division of the state Department of Consumer Affairs,
http://www.privacy.ca.gov.
PLACING A FRAUD ALERTBy placing a fraud alert on your consumer credit file, you let
creditors know that they should watch for unusual or suspicious
activity in any of your accounts, such as someone trying to open a
credit card account in your name.
To place a free fraud alert, call one of the three major credit
reporting agencies listed below.
Your phone call will take you to an automated phone system. Be sure to
listen carefully to the selections and indicate that you are at risk
for credit fraud. You need only contact one of these agencies, which
will automatically forward the fraud alert to the other two. These
agencies offer the initial fraud alerts at no charge.
Equifax888-766-0008
Consumer Fraud Division
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374
http://www.equifax.comEquifax home page
http://www.equifax.com/answers/set-fraud-alerts/en_efxEquifax fraud alert information page
Experian888-397-3742
Credit Fraud Center
P.O. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013
http://www.experian.comExperian home page
https://www.experian.com/consumer/cac/InvalidateSession.do?code=SECURITYALERTExperian credit fraud page
http://www.experian.com/consumer/fraud_faqs.html#securityExperian credit fraud FAQ
TransUnion800-680-7289
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834
http://www.tuc.comTransUnion home page
http://www.transunion.com/corporate/personal/fraudIdentityTheft/fraudPrevention/fraudAlert.pageTransUnion fraud page
Soon after you place a fraud alert, you will receive credit reports by
mail from all three reporting agencies. In the credit report, check
your personal information, including home address, Social Security
number, etc., for accuracy. Look for any charges that you did not
make. Watch for any accounts that you did not open. Note any
inquiries from creditors that you did not initiate.
If you find anything that looks suspicious or that you do not
understand, call the credit agency at the telephone number listed on
your credit report. You may also wish to call your local police or
sheriff`s office to file a report of identity theft.
PLACING A SECURITY FREEZEA security freeze means that your credit file cannot be shared with
potential creditors unless you give your consent. If your credit files
are frozen, even someone who has your name and Social Security number
would probably not be able to obtain credit in your name. If you take
this step any new creditors that request your file from one of the
three credit bureaus will only obtain a message or a code indicating
that the file is frozen. While you will be able to lift the freeze for
legitimate inquiries, you should be aware that this can slow any
credit approval process.
A security freeze is free to those who have a police report of
verified identity theft. To obtain a police report, contact your local
police department. Give the police as much information on the theft as
possible. One way to do this is to provide copies of your credit
reports showing the items related to identity theft. Black out other
items not related to identity theft. Give the police any new evidence
you collect to add to your report. Be sure to obtain a copy of your
police report. You will need to give copies to creditors and the
credit bureaus.
If you do not have a police report, it costs $10 to place a freeze with each
credit bureau, for a total of $30. The credit bureaus require that freeze
requests be made in writing.
Samples of freeze request letters can be found at:
http://www.oispp.ca.gov/consumer_privacy/consumer/documents/pdf/cis10securityfreeze.pdfEquifax Security FreezeP.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348
Send by certified mail.
Include name, current and former address, Social Security number and
date of birth. Pay by check, money order or credit card, Visa, Master
Card, American Express or Discover only. Give name of credit card,
account number and expiration date.
Experian Security FreezeP. O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
Send by certified mail.
Include full name, with middle initial and Jr./Sr., etc. Include
current address and home addresses for past five years, Social
Security number, birth date and two proofs of residence, such as a
copy of driver's license, utility bill, insurance statement, bank
statement. Pay by check, money order or credit card. Give name of
credit card, account number and expiration date.
TransUnion Security FreezeP. O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834
Send by regular or certified mail.
Include first name, middle initial, last name, Jr./Sr., etc. Current
home address and addresses for past five years, Social Security number
and birth date. Pay by check, money order or credit card. Give name
of credit card, account number and expiration date.
Additional information on how to initiate a Security Freeze can be
found on the Web site of the California Office of Privacy Protection:
http://www.oispp.ca.gov/consumer_privacy/consumer/documents/pdf/cis10securityfreeze.pdfCREDIT MONITORINGThis service will send you e-mail alerts when new accounts, inquiries,
negative information, credit-limit changes, and other items appear on
your credit report. The following firms all offer credit monitoring
services on a monthly basis with prices ranging from $4.95 to $14.95 a
month. Please note that Federal Trade Commission and country`s
leading consumer groups do not endorse this particular service. They
suggest that signing up for a free Fraud Alert and placing a Security
Freeze on your credit file offers a higher level of protection.
Experian:
http://www.experiandirect.com/triplealert/default.aspx?sc=668715True Credit:
https://www.truecredit.com/products/optimizedOrder.jsp?package=TriBureauCMUIdentity Guard:
http://www.identityguard.com/getprotected/landing.aspxEquifax:
http://www.equifax.com/id-patrol/
