Great Ideas for Senior Citizens on Preventing
Identity Theft
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Editor's
Note |
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This is one of the best list of ideas on preventing identify
theft we have seen. We recommend you email these unique actions
to your friends. Just click here to email. |
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Limiting exposure of
personal information is the best way to protect yourself from fraud
By Robert Valentine,
Certified Senior Advisor
October 5, 2006 - For the sixth consecutive year,
identity theft surpassed construction, credit card and debt collection
fraud as the most prevalent form of consumer fraud, according to the
Federal Trade Commission, which received 255,000 identity theft
complaints last year.
Many consumers associate identity theft with email
solicitations and computer firewall breaches, but checks, credit cards
and Social Security numbers remain targets as well. To protect yourself
from becoming a victim, follow these tips to prevent identity theft.
Checks:
● Use your initials and last name when ordering
printed checks. A check forger wont know how you sign your checks, but
your bank will.
● Do not have your home phone number or Social
Security number printed on your checks. Use your work phone number. Use
a post office box or work address instead of your home address.
● Order new checks from your bank and pick them
up at the bank, rather than having them sent to your home mailbox.
Credit cards
● When paying credit card bills, write only the
last four digits of the account number in the check memo line.
● Do not sign the back of your credit card.
Instead write, Photo ID required.
● Photocopy both sides of your drivers license,
credit cards and other important contents of your wallet. In the event
it is stolen, youll know exactly what is missing.
● Keep a list of your credit card numbers and
their toll-free customer service numbers so you can cancel cards quickly
if lost or stolen. Keep the list in a safe place in your home, not in
your wallet.
Social Security Number
● Do not carry your Social Security card in your
wallet. Memorize the number and put the original card in a safe place.
● If you believe your Social Security number has
been compromised, contact the Social Security Administration fraud line
800-269-0271.
PINs and Passwords
● Do not write your PIN on the back of the card
or on anything else in your wallet.
● Use different PINs for each debit and credit
card. If you have too many to remember, consider reducing the number of
cards you carry in your wallet.
● Do not use easily available information, like
your birth date, phone number or part of your Social Security number,
for PINS and passwords.
Mail and Trash
● Use post office collection boxes for outgoing
mail, rather than your home mail box.
● Shred any trash that may contain personal
information, including charge receipts, credit applications, insurance
forms, medical statements, checks and bank statements, expired credit
and debit cards and direct mail credit offers.
● You can opt not to receive direct mail credit
offers by calling 888-567-8688.
If your wallet is stolen, you should immediately:
● File a police report to document the theft and
the wallet contents.
● Contact one of the national credit reporting
organizations (listed below) to have a fraud alert placed on your name
and Social Security number. The organization you contact is required to
contact the other two. If the thiefs purchases initiate a credit check,
the credit reporting organization can alert the merchant. Placing a
fraud alert entitles you to free copies of your credit reports.
● Equifax 800-525-6285
● Experian 888-397-3742
● Trans Union 800-680-7289
● Close all accounts for missing credit cards.
Check your credit reports for accounts opened fraudulently.
● File a complaint with the Federal Trade
Commission, which maintains a database of identity theft cases, online
at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. This database assists law enforcement
agencies and helps the FTC learn more about identity theft.
● Notify your bank if your wallet contained a
checkbook or debit/ATM cards.
Note: This article was submitted by Robert
Valentine of Financial and Retirement Management. Robert (CA Insurance
Lic #0C23496) is a Registered Representative of and offers securities
through Securities America, Inc., a Registered Broker/Dealer, Member
NASD/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Financial and Retirement
Management, a Registered Investment Advisory firm. Robert is a Certified
Senior Advisor in Huntington Beach, CA. Several of his articles on
financial planning matters that concern investors have been published.
Robert can be reached at (877) 732-2637.
