I Swear On My Mother's Maiden Name!
A researcher claims that he can predict 8.5% of all Social Security numbers with 1,000 attempts if he has a person’s date of birth and state of birth. Since we all provide that information when we fill out our entry for Who’s Who (or put it on our Facebook page), it is likely that many of us will have our identities stolen even if we tirelessly protect our mother’s maiden name and our secret password.
With our Social Security number and name, a thief can go to innumerable Web sites and open credit accounts, buy products and subscriptions and even get a driver’s license with our name and their picture. When the police knock on your door at 2 A.M. and take you away for failing to appear in court on a DUI charge, you should remember to tell them that someone may have stolen your identity. And when you get a bill for $10,000 worth of plastic surgery, be glad if you can show them that you really don’t look that good.
It is good to prevent identity theft, but you also need to prepare for it to happen. Here is the plan:
1.) Get a free copy of your credit report every four months.
On January 31, May 31, and September 30 you need to go to
www.annualcreditreport.com
and get a free credit report. Read it carefully. Is your address correct? Are all the accounts listed yours? Although the credit reporting agencies make many errors, any mistake could indicate identity theft.
2.) Get a copy of your driving record each year.
Most states will let you purchase your record from the MVD for a few dollars. Make sure that your record has no errors or offenses you don’t recognize.
3.) Sign up for electronic billing and notices.
Your paper notices can be directed to a new address or stolen from your mailbox. Emails are less likely to be redirected. This does not mean that you must do financial transactions on line but it is usually safer to do EFTs and other electronic payments.
And what should you do after your identity has been stolen?
1.) Call everyone
TransUnion (800-680-7289), Equifax (800-525-6285) and Experian (888-397-3742) are the credit bureaus. Ask to have a fraud alert placed on your report. Notify the Social Security Administration, your state motor vehicle administration, all your creditors, your employer and your bank.
2.) Call your local police department and get a copy of the report
They probably won’t care but you will need that report later to prove to companies that want to hold you responsible that you filed a complaint.
3.) Go to the Federal Trade Commission’s Web site,
www.ftc.gov
and complete an affidavit.
This will also serve as proof that you declared the crime and acted on it.
These steps are for day one. You are more likely to get through it with minimal damage to your credit and your reputation if you act quickly.
And don’t think you can relax after you die; it has become quite common to steal the identities of the deceased!