Boulder Consumer Affairs Division

Identity thieves are creating new ways of obtaining personal information every day – be on your guard!

CHECKLIST TO PROTECT YOURSELF
FROM IDENTITY THEFT

Consumer Division of the Boulder District Attorney
303-441-3700
Mary T. Lacy, District Attorney
Cynthia F. Taylor, Director
Boulder County District Attorney Web Pages

• Be sure you are on the no-call list for your home and cell phone: visit www.donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222.
   
• Check your credit report via www.AnnualCreditReport.com .  If you do not have access to the Internet, call 1-877-322-8228.  We recommend making three separate requests during the year (one request per year from each credit reporting agency is free) so there is more opportunity to monitor activity on your report. Check your credit report BEFORE making a big purchase like a house or car so you can clear up any problems before applying for credit. To report fraud contact one of the big three credit reporting agencies and a fraud alert will be forwarded to the other agencies:

Equifax —   www.equifax.com
To report fraud, call: 1-888-766-0008
TDD 1-800-255-0056 and write:
P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian — www.experian.com 
To report fraud, call: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
TDD 1-800-972-0322 and write:
P.O. Box 9532, Allen TX 75013 

TransUnion — www.transunion.com
To report fraud, call: 1-800-680-7289
TDD 10877-553-7803; fax: 714-447-6034; email: fvad@transunion.com or write: Fraud Victim Assistance Department, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634-6790

• Consider putting a security freeze on your credit report if you do not anticipate applying for credit in the near future, or at all.  Notify all three credit reporting agencies in writing, the first freeze is free, and subsequent removal or freeze installed again will require a $10 fee. See the Security Freeze information on the Consumer web site for further information.
   
• Do not give to any charity without making sure it is legitimate.  Check it out through the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance at www.give.org or the IRS web site at www.irs.gov or call our office.
   
• Reduce the amount of mail you receive by calling the national credit bureaus’ opt-out line at 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-5-678-688) or at their web site www.optoutprescreen.com . This action will reduce the number of pre-approved credit offers you will receive.
   
• Cross-shred all mail and any other information containing personal identification and account numbers (especially the “pre-approved credit” offers).
   
• Do not respond to any e-mail that purports to be from an agency needing your information (credit card company, e-bay, bank look-alike, etc.).  Look-alike sites may tell you your information has been compromised and they need more or updated information.
   
• Do not engage by replying to bogus e-mails, a reply may give hackers access to your information. Some e-mails pretend to be from the IRS, FBI, Homeland Security, or threaten you since you supposedly have not paid a bill – don’t fall for any of these scams – they are all “phishing” for your financial information. Hit delete, or forward to your anti-spam/anti-phishing site.  Call us if you have any questions:  303-441-3700.
   
• Do not carry your Social Security number with you unless you are going to need it that day. Check your earnings and benefits statements at 1-800-772-1213.
   
• Use passwords or photo identification on credit cards and bank accounts – encourage businesses to request photo i.d. with credit card use.
   
• Monitor bills and credit card activity carefully at least each month.  Report any discrepancies immediately.
   
• Further reduce the amount of mail by writing to the following address, or visiting the web site: www.dmaconsumers.org/offmailinglist.html - there is a fee for using the web site.

Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 282
Carmel, NY 10512

• Make sure you take advantage of the privacy or opt-out policy of every company you deal with - mortgage companies, credit card companies, banks, etc. Ask how each company safeguards and disposes of their information.
   

• There have been frequent reports of fraudulent cashier’s checks and money orders (particularly in response to items sold on the Internet).  Be especially careful when accepting and depositing this tender – ask for help from your financial institution in determining whether they are counterfeit.  Many who offer these fraudulent checks or money orders indicate the check is for an amount greater than the amount requested and ask you to send the difference.
   
• Use caution when using an ATM machine, both for personal safety, and for password surfers who may be trying to see your password. (Phony ATM machines have appeared in the U.S.).
   
• Have your checks sent to your bank or credit union and pick them up there if your mailbox is in a vulnerable location.
   
• If your mailbox is in a vulnerable location, and unlocked, consider renting a post office box.
   
• Do not put outgoing mail in your mailbox, and don’t use the red flag to alert crooks to the fact that mail is available for the taking in that box.  Pick up your mail immediately so thieves have less opportunity to steal it.
   
• Thieves use change of address cards to divert mail to another location – get to know your mail carrier.
   
• If you use on-line banking or automatic withdrawals, make sure your banking institution limits withdrawals to those authorized and the times authorized.  Make sure you only have an amount in that account minimally necessary to cover monthly bills.
   
• Make sure PIN numbers are not obvious.
   
• Make sure you have secured information from credit cards and licenses (such as photocopying or writing down phone numbers and account numbers) so any loss can be reported immediately.
   
• When applying for credit make sure you know how the business disposes of all personal information – dumpsters belonging to car dealerships, mortgage companies and retail appliance stores are favorite targets of identity thieves.
   
• Do not put your trash out the night before - thieves can help themselves.
   
• Beware of door-to-door solicitations. Never give information or money at the door without researching the magazine salesperson, charitable solicitor, or contractor first.  Con artists thrive after disasters.  Research the organization prior to giving.  Call the BBB (303-758-2100) and the D.A.’s office 303-441-3700.  The Secretary of State’s web site tracks how much a charity actually gives to the charitable organization, and whether the charity is registered.
   
• Always get more than one estimate before dealing with any contractor: compare price and reputation and NEVER PAY UP FRONT.  Call to request a copy of “Before You Build” from this office, or find it online at www.boulderda.org .
   
• Make sure you know any contractor working in your home, do not leave anyone alone in your home, and make sure your personal information is secure.
   
• Do not have identifying markers on your vehicle like a license plate holder that says “John and Mary Smith, Boulder, Colorado.”  When you are in a campground in Florida, thieves will know you are not home in Boulder. The same is true with checks that reveal your address.  Pay with credit cards and cash when traveling.
   
• Make sure travel agencies are not using your Social Security number to identify you – use a personal identification number.
   
• Check your credit card bill thoroughly after a vacation – credit information is stolen frequently when people travel.
   
• Use caution when giving your credit card to a waiter or merchant – make sure you know where your card is at all times. Waiters use “skimmers” to capture the information off your card and i.d. thieves park outside restaurants and other businesses trying to access financial information if the system is wireless.
   
• Safeguard wallets and purses; conceal money and important cards in an area inaccessible to pickpockets.
   
• Don’t fill out surveys  – the fine print may hold a surprise obligation, subscription, or exemption from no-call lists, etc.
   
• Make sure there are no identifying numbers or personal information on receipts and make sure only the last four numbers of your credit card appear on any credit receipt. (Colorado law requires businesses to shield your credit card number on your receipt, with the exception of the last four digits.)
   
• Never give out personal information over the phone or the Internet unless you initiate the contact and are certain you are dealing with a secure site.  Be aware of scams directing people to look-alike sites that attempt to “pharm” your personal information.
   
• Report Internet fraud to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.com .
   
• Deal with locked/encrypted sites only (https) (look for the padlock) when transacting business on the computer. Be aware that con artists are “pharming” private information off the Internet by directing consumers to look-alike sites that mimic legitimate companies.
   
• Educate your children so they aren’t giving any personal information in chat rooms – often the province of predators.  Adult chat rooms and Internet dating sites are also being used by thieves posing as a love interest in need of transportation money or other handouts.
   
• Update your virus, spy ware, anti-spam and filtering protection software regularly.
   
• Use a strong password – a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols.  Laptops are targets for thieves so it is especially important to use a strong password on laptops.
   
• Avoid using an automatic login feature that would allow easy access to any personal information stored on a computer.
   
• Read web-site privacy policies to learn about the access to and control of personal information.
   
• To opt-out of receiving unsolicited commercial e-mails use the Direct Marketing Association’s on-line form at www.dmaconsumers.org/offemaillist.html.  This request will be effective for one year.
   
• Destroy your old computers – physically hammering the hard drive and any disks containing financial information before recycling them or throwing them away.  If you are giving them away, use a strong utility program to overwrite the hard drive.  When upgrading your computers, consider saving the old one and dedicating it to the Internet – the new one will stay virus and hacker free.
   
• When purchasing items on the Internet check out the seller thoroughly and don’t buy more than you can afford to lose.  It is difficult for law enforcement to assist in recovering your money when it is across state lines.

If Identity Theft happens to you