How to...Prevent IDTheft

• Don't leave mail in your residential mailbox.

• Don't store personal information or account numbers on computers with modems.

• Don't carry your Social Security number, other personal information or account numbers in your wallet or purse.

• Take ATM, credit card and other receipts with you, and either save them in a safe place or destroy them.

• Shred documents that could contain personal information.

• Don't give any part of your Social Security number or personal account numbers over the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you know who you are dealing with.

• Never click on links sent in unsolicited e-mails.

• Don't use obvious passwords like your birth date, your mother's maiden name or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

• Never put your account number on an envelope or a postcard.

• Keep a record of your credit card numbers, their expiration dates and the telephone numbers of each company for reporting losses.

• Open billing statements promptly and compare them with your receipts. Report any mistakes in writing immediately.

DETECT ID THEFT

Be alert to signs of suspicious activity, such as:

• Bills that do not arrive as expected

• Bills and other accounts that have purchases you did not make

• Unexpected credit cards or account statements

• Denials of credit for no apparent reason

• Calls or letters about purchases you did not make

Inspect your credit report.

The law requires the three major national consumer reporting companies -- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion -- to give you a copy of your credit report each year if you ask for it.
IF YOU SUSPECT IDENTITY THEFT

• File a police report immediately.

• Cancel credit cards and get new cards with new account numbers. (Federal and state law limit your responsibility to the first $50.)

• Report missing cards to the three major credit reporting services.

• Place a "fraud alert" on your credit reports and review them carefully. Placing a fraud alert entitles you to free copies of your report. A call to one of the companies is sufficient.

• Call the security or fraud departments of each credit card company where an account was opened or changed without your approval. Follow in writing with copies of supporting documents.

• Ask for verification that the disputed account has been closed and the fraudulent debits discharged.

• Keep copies of documents and records of your conversations about the theft.

• Report the loss to your bank. Cancel checking and savings accounts and open new ones. Stop payment on all outstanding checks.

• Get a new ATM card, account number, PIN and online password.

• Call your utilities, including the phone company. Inform them someone may try to get new service using your identification.

• Report a missing driver's license to the Kansas Division of Motor Vehicles and get a new driver's license.

• Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission to help law enforcement officials across the country investigate. Contact the FTC at 877-ID-THEFT (438-4338), online at ftc.gov/idtheft, or by mail at Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580.