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Avoiding ID Theft and Credit Fraud
Article excerpted from the new book, "How to Do Space Age Work
with a Stone Age Brain" TM copyright 2004, all rights reserved,
by Eve Abbott, the Organizer Extraordinaire
Each year billions of dollars in credit fraud is perpetrated
on unsuspecting citizens. With so much personal information
publicly available (or easily available to someone with medium
computing skills) it is essential to develop good habits to
prevent your information from falling into criminal hands. It is
possible for someone to create an entire identity (get driver's
license, etc.) based on just a few pieces of information.
I know of an employee who sustained an on-the-job injury then
applied for disability. He was shocked when they turned him down.
According to Workmen's Compensation records he had been
collecting disability for the last year and a half. Someone had
gotten their hands on enough information to drain his
account!
It can take years and thousands of dollars to correct an
identity theft, credit fraud or a simple key entry error by a
clerk at a Credit Bureau. It takes minutes for you to do these
simple tips:
Destroy all pre-approved credit offers you get in the mail
before you discard them. Otherwise, someone can fill out a new
address and get credit in your name. Use a paper-shredder for all
documents with your financial or legal information included. Sign
all your credit cards with 'Please ask for photo ID' instead of
your signature.
Never give out your SSN or credit card information on the
phone unless you initiate the call and you know to whom you are
talking. Never carry your social security number in your
wallet.
You don't have to give your SSN to businesses that request it,
although they do have the right to refuse service. Only
government agency, and employment or tax related inquiries must
be answered.
Reduce the number of pre-approved offers you get by requesting
these credit bureaus remove your name from their lists: TRW (800)
353-0809, Equifax (800) 219-1251 and TransUnion (800)
241-2858.
Once a year carefully check out your free credit report from
Experian (800) 682-7654 and free Social Security file (800)
772-1213. If you are denied credit based on your report, the
issuing credit bureau must provide you with a free copy upon
request - even if they usually charge for it.
If you don't have a 'business of having a life' filing system,
check out the cost-effective Home and Small Business File Kits
that I use in my own business, which makes it easy for me to
guarantee your satisfaction. (www.organize.com)
Do not give out confidential information on e-mail or do
financial transactions on the Internet unless it's secure and
encoded. (Look for the SSL reference)
Check guarantee and check verification agencies must provide
the same protection as credit bureaus, such as access to your
report and correction of errors. If your check is refused, get
the agency name.
For assistance in re-establishing good credit and correcting
errors, the non-profit Consumer Credit Counseling Service may be
able to help you. To find the office nearest you call (800)
388-2227.
More free time-saving tips are available at http://www.organize.com
For over 15 years, Eve Abbott has been writing, speaking and
consulting with executives, managers and business owners on
boosting their effectiveness with organizing tools and techniques
to melt the paper blizzard and tackle e-mail overload. Eve is the
Organizer Extraordinaire, a personal productivity expert whose
wisdom has reached the pages of the New York Times, Working Woman
and Home Office Computing.
MORE RESOURCES:
Credit - Google News
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