Welcome Identity Theft Readers:

Many people do not realize how easily criminals can obtain our personal data. See below for a short but disturbing list.

• Shoulder Surfing or eavesdropping on public transactions to obtain personal data (e.g. credit card or calling card information
• Dumpster Diving ­ or going through garbage or common dumpsters/trash bins to obtain
  copies of your checks, credit card or bank statements, or any other records that may include your name, address, and even your telephone number.
• Remote reading of information from an RFID chip on a smartcard, RFID-enabled credit card, or passport
• Trojan Horses/Computer Hacking or stealing personal information by using computer databases or computer viruses
• Fraudulent Infiltration of organizations that store large amounts of personal information
• Phishing or impersonating a trusted organization in an electronic communication
• Browsing social networking websites (Myspace, Facebook, etc.) for personal details posted online by users

To combat identity theft:

• Be cautious or stingy about giving out personal data
• Shred your throw away mail – don’t just throw this information away
• Check your financial data regularly
• Check your credit report regulary

To report fraud or identity theft:

*Contact your credit card agency or banking institution immediately to report the fraud and also call the credit agencies below:

• Equifax – call (800) 525-6285 or write to P.O. Box 740250, Atlanta, GA 30374-0250.
• Experian – call (888) 397-3742, fax to (800) 301-7196, or write to P.O. Box 1017, Allen, TX 75013.
• Trans Union – call (800) 680-7289 or write to P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634.

For more information on Identity Theft visit the US Department of Justice or Wikipedia.

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