PREVENTING
IDENTITY FRAUD
We would like to offer
these tips to help you prevent identity fraud:
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Do not give personal
information, such as account numbers or social security numbers, over the
telephone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you initiated the
contact or know with whom you are dealing.
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Store personal
information in a safe place and tear up old credit cards receipts, ATM
receipts, old account statements, and unused credit card offers before
throwing them away.
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Protect you PIN’s and
other passwords. Avoid using
easily available information like your mother’s maiden name, your birth
date, the last four digits of your social security number, your phone
number, etc.
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Carry only the minimum
amount of identifying information and the number of credit cards that you
need.
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Pay attention to billing
cycles and statements. Inquire
of the bank if you do not receive a monthly bill; it may mean the bill has
been diverted by an identity thief.
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Guard your mail from
theft. If you have the type
of mailbox with a flag to signal the box contains mail, do not leave bill
payment envelopes in your mailbox with the flag up.
Instead, deposit them in a post office collection box or at the
local post office. Promptly
remove incoming mail. |
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