Identity Theft is a serious crime.
People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years and thousands of dollars cleaning up the mess the thieves have made of a good name and credit record. In the meantime, victims of identity theft may lose job opportunities, be refused loans for education, housing, or cars, and even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit.
The following information on identify theft is from The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) which you may wish to access for more information. You may also wish to access the Consumer Protection Division of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office if you are a Mississippi resident.
How identity thieves get your personal info:
- They may steal your mail, including bank and credit card statements, credit card offers, new checks, and tax information.
- They may rummage through your trash, the trash of businesses, or public trash dumps in a practice known as "dumpster diving."
- They may get your credit reports by abusing their employer's authorized access to them, or by posing as a landlord, employer, or someone else who may have a legal right to access your report.
- They may steal your wallet or purse.
- They may complete a "change of address form" to divert your mail to another location.
- They may steal personal information they find in your home.
- They may steal personal information from you through email or phone by posing as legitimate companies and claiming that you have a problem with your account. This practice is known as "phishing" online, or pretexting by phone.
Tips to avoid identity theft:
- If your Driver’s License Number is the same as your Social Security Number, request a license with a different number.
- Shred credit card offers and any other items you don’t want to keep that have any of your personal or account information.
How identity thieves use your personal info:
- They may call your credit card issuer to change the billing address on your credit card account. The imposter then runs up charges on your account.
- They may open new credit card accounts in your name.
- They may establish phone or wireless service in your name.
- They may open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on that account.
- They may counterfeit checks or credit or debit cards, or authorize electronic transfers in your name, and drain your bank account.
- They may file for bankruptcy under your name to avoid paying debts they've incurred under your name, or to avoid eviction.
- They may buy a car by taking out an auto loan in your name.
- They may get identification such as a driver's license issued with their picture, in your name.
- They may get a job or file fraudulent tax returns in your name.
- They may give your name to the police during an arrest. If they don't show up for their court date, a warrant for arrest is issued in your name.
If your personal info is lost or stolen:
Take certain steps quickly to minimize the potential for identity theft:
- Financial accounts: Close accounts, like credit cards and bank accounts, immediately. When you open new accounts, place passwords on them. Avoid using your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number, your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.
- Social Security number: Call the toll-free fraud number of any of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies and place an initial fraud alert on your credit reports. An alert can help stop someone from opening new credit accounts in your name.
- Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P. O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
- Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P. O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 5013
- TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P. O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
- Driver's license/other government-issued identification: Contact the agency that issued the license or other identification document. Follow its procedures to cancel the document and to get a replacement.
- If you have provided personal information to ESF, notify the ESF Privacy Officer at 800.986.4322 or by email
- If you are a Mississippi resident, contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s Office and request an ID Theft Packet. Complete the ID Theft Affidavit in the packet and return it to the address indicated so that a criminal investigation may be initiated by the Attorney General’s Office.
Once you've taken these precautions, watch for signs that your information is being misused. If your information has been misused, file a report about the theft with the police, and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission:
- file a complaint online,
- call the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline toll-free 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338), or
- write to: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580
