What Is Identity (ID) Theft? How Does

What is Identity (ID) Theft? What can ID thieves do with • Learn about security procedures your information? in your workplace. Identity theft occurs when an • Never give out personal unauthorized party uses your personally • Call your creditors and change information on the phone, identifying information, such as your your mailing address on your through mail, or over the internet name, address, Social Security Number credit card account. unless you know the receiver and (SSN), or credit card or bank account • Open new lines of credit using have initiated the contact. information to assume your identity in your personal identification • Guard your mail and trash from order to commit fraud or other criminal information. theft. acts. • Establish phone services using • Shred or destroy discarded

your name which are charged to financial statements in your trash. How does identity theft occur? you. • Give your SSN only when

Identity thieves can steal your personal • Open bank accounts in your name absolutely necessary. information directly or indirectly by: and write bad checks. • Keep your purse or wallet in a • Stealing your wallets and purses • Forge checks to wipe out your safe place at work.

containing identification cards, bank account. credit cards and bank • Apply for auto loans taken out in How can you protect your information. your name. personal computer from ID • Stealing your mail including • Commit other crimes and then theft? credit and bank statements, phone give your name, instead of their or utility bills, new checks, and own, to the police during their SSNs, financial records, tax information, tax information. arrest. birth dates, and account numbers may be

• Completing a “change of address stored on you personal computer. form” to redirect the destination What you can you do to Follow these tips to help keep your of your mail. prevent ID theft? personal information safe. • • Rummaging through your trash Update your virus protection Identity theft is on the rise. While there for discarded personal data in a software regularly, especially are no guarantees that your identity will practice known as “dumpster when a new virus alert is brought not be stolen there are steps you can take diving.” to your attention. to minimize your risk. • • Taking personal information that Do not download files from • Use passwords on all your credit you share or post on the Internet. strangers or click hyperlinks from card, bank, and phone accounts. people you don’t know. This • Never keep passwords, “PINs” or could expose your system to a your SSN card in your wallet or virus. purse.

• Use a firewall program. This will stop uninvited guests from accessing your computer. How can you contact the • Use a secure browser to guard the security of your online FTC? transactions. OFFICE OF Internet INSPECTOR GENERAL www.ftc.gov What do you do if you are a (OIG) victim? FTC’s ID Theft Hotline 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338) 1. Contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit Write Identity Theft Clearinghouse bureaus. (This information can be found on FTC’s ID Theft website or in Federal Trade Commission FTC’s ID Theft booklet) 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 2. Close the accounts that you know Washington, DC 20580 or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Contact OIG 3. File a police report with your local Internet police and/or the police in the oig.nsf.gov community where the identity theft took place. Telephone 703 292-7100 Where can you find more Fax information on this subject? 703 292-9158/9159

The information found in this Write Identity Theft: brochure was derived from FTC’s National Science Foundation What can you do to Manual on ID Theft, “ID Theft: When Office of Inspector General protect yourself? Bad Things Happen to Your Good 4201 Wilson Boulevard

Name”, which was published in Arlington, VA 22230 September of 2002. It is available at: www.consumer.gov/idtheft/. You can also access more information in the office of the OIG in Rm. 1135.