PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY

By Lynette Baker, Director of Marketing

Identity Theft is quickly becoming one of the most organized and costly crimes of modern times. Identity Theft is a crime in which an imposter deceptively obtains identifying personal data and uses it for their own personal gain. Some of this data might include social security numbers, driver's license numbers, credit card numbers and bank account numbers. The process can start with a stolen wallet, pilfered email or an online data breach. Identity Theft can affect anyone of any age, including children!

Over 8 million people are victimized by identity theft each year, with identity theft remaining the top complaint to the FTC for 11 years running. Overall losses from identity theft were over $37 billion in 2010. The average consumer out of pocket cost was up to $631 per incident.

National Protect Your Identity Week is October 16-22, 2011. To mark this annual event, Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester is offering tips to help consumers protect their identity. We will also be hosting an event at the Fairport, NY Tops at 6720 Pittsford Palmyra Rd on October 22^nd from 10am-2pm. Bring your documents and we'll shred them for you!

• Buy a shredder and use it! Shred everything including credit card receipts, old bank statements, medical statements, everyday bills and pre-approved credit card offers. If you don't have a shredder or can't buy one, look for shredding events in your area. There are many being held for Protect Your ID Week.
• Monitor your credit and bank accounts carefully, so you'll know if a bill is missing or if unauthorized purchases have been made.
• Protect your Social Security number. Only give out your Social Security number when absolutely necessary.
• Never give out your Social Security number, bank account number or credit card numbers to phone solicitors.
• When shopping online, make sure you see the Trust-e symbol or a Better Business Bureau online seal. These indicate that the seller has been independently audited and deemed trustworthy. Also make sure that online sites are secure or in an encrypted mode. The best way to do this is to look for a web address that begins with https instead of the usual http.
• Have a constant awareness of your surroundings when shopping or using ATM's. Unscrupulous people can pick pocket you or look over your shoulder to gain your pin number.
• Consider signing up for a credit monitoring service. Such services alert you via email anytime there is an inquiry or other activity to your credit report.
• Order your credit report regularly. Consumers are allowed one free credit report every 12 months from each of the three bureaus- Experian, Equifax and Transunion. Order a report now from one bureau and then from another in January. This will give you a look at your credit report every 4 months and is still free.

The best way to protect your identity is to be proactive and through prevention. It is much more difficult to recover from identity theft than to take steps to stop it before it happens.

What To Do If Your Information Gets Leaked

By Destiney Fraguada, Counselor

Occasionally, hackers are able to breach the security precautions of companies and access protected consumer information.

However, there are some proactive steps you can take as a consumer to safeguard your personal information.

Monitor your credit report closely.

The best method of monitoring your credit report would be to pull all 3 credit reports annually, ideally spreading them out over a course of a year.

You can acquire your credit report for free through annualcreditreport.com; this site is a free, government-sponsored site with no fees or temporary membership requirements.

Place a "fraud alert" on your credit report.

If you feel that your identity has been compromised, you can place a personal statement on your credit reports.

It is important to place instructions for a creditor to follow if they are trying to issue you credit, including a method for them to contact you.

Change and/or update passwords on accounts that have been compromised.

Make sure to update your passwords and contact the bank or lender immediately.

Request the bank or lender to issue out a new card, and change any PIN‟s associated with the accounts.

Become empowered and take control.

Contact companies that have recently solicited you and ask to be removed from their mailing list.

To avoid e-mail solicitations, you can direct them to the junk or spam folder. Then, each time you‟re sent a solicitation from any company you sent to junk or spam, it will automatically go there.

Guarding Yourself Against Credit Card Skimming

By: Rachel Douglas, NFCC certified Credit Counselor

Card skimming is a method used by thieves to steal credit or debit card information. Skimmers place counterfeit devices on ATMs which record your information when cards are inserted into them.

This practices illustrates that credit and debit card accounts are vulnerable even if the cards themselves are never lost.

In part, that is because credit and debit card numbers are usually stored unencrypted on a magnetic stripe on the reverse of each card, which thieves can easily copy at low cost.

Summer is the highest-risk season for scams and thefts, so make sure you know how to properly protect yourself to avoid becoming an easy target.

To protect yourself from card skimming scams, practice the following:

Avoid ATMs that you do not normally use.
Thieves commonly put out-of-order signs on legitimate ATMs and set up nearby counterfeit ones that skim information from your card. ATMs positioned inside banks within view of watch cameras aren't risk free, but they create more challenges for the thieves who install skimming equipment.

Cover your code.
When entering your PIN into an ATM or card reader, cover the keypad from the observation of hidden cameras or anyone in close proximity.

Use the "credit" option with your debit card.
If you must use a debit card, choose the option to have the purchase processed as a credit transaction rather than entering in your PIN.

This option is available at many point-of sale terminals, and functions the same exact way as using the debit option. This way, your debit PIN is more secure.

Card skimmers particularly target gas stations, especially in vacation areas. Make sure to be extra careful while filling up your gas tank!