Identity theft
Katie Farmer
Bank of America
- 111 E E Butler Pkwy Ne Gainesville, GA 30501
- 1 (800) 432-1000
What is identity theft?
Identity theft is stealing someone else's identity and using the information to steal money.
Ways to protect yourself
- Shred all personal/private documents
- Secure your email
- Do not leave a paper trail
- Know who you are talking/ dealing with
- Be defensive with personal information
- Monitor your credit report
- Create strong passwords
Ways people can steal your identity
- Open credit card accounts in your name
- Steal your personal identity number (PIN) from an ATM or gas station
- Cloning credit card information from restaurants where you swipe your card
- Dumpster diving (when someone looks through another persons trash in search for personal information)
- Phishing (scamming through phone calls, emails, and/or fake websites)
What to do if your identity is stolen
- Call company where you know fraud has occurred
- Place a fraud alert and get your credit report
- Report identity theft to the FTC
- File a report with local police department
- Close new accounts opened in your name
Protection
LifeLock is an identity theft protection service. LifeLock Starts at $9.99 a month and goes up to $29.99 a month. LifeLock guarantees to spend up to $1 million dollars to hire the right people to restore your identity.
Additional information
- Medical identity theft is becoming more popular.
- Even children are at risk of identity theft. It is most common with foster children.
- According to the BMI, in 2014 more than one billion personal record were leaked.
Sources
- http://www.protectmyid.com/identity-theft-protection-resources/identity-basics/how-thieves-operate.aspx
- http://www.houstontx.gov/police/crime_prevention/id_theft.htm
- http://www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/7-ways-protect-yourself-id-theft.aspx
- http://blog.credit.com/2015/05/5-identity-theft-facts-that-will-terrify-you-116875/
- https://www.consumeraffairs.com/privacy/