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The main thing to remember in protecting your identity is just that: protecting your personal information. That’s what a group of about 50 people heard at a special identity theft seminar Wednesday morning at the Arts, Commerce and Visitors Centre.
The session was sponsored by the Richard G. Lugar Northeast Indiana Community Center in Fort Wayne and the Wells County Chamber of Commerce. Although information was provided the Wells County Sheriff Department and Bluffton Police, the two main speakers were Andrew Gottfreid, a U.S. Postal Inspector based in Fort Wayne, and Monica Kozlowski of Senator Richard Lugar’s Indianapolis office.
Gottfried emphasized that one should “never ever” give personal information over the phone “unless you are absolutely certain” you know who you are talking to. He said that we sometimes have to give or affirm that information when dealing with your credit card company, or in purchasing items.
“But be sure they are a trusted source,” he said, noting that legitimate companies will understand your concerns.
He also stressed the importance of shredding any mailings that have personal information, such as pre-approved credit card applications, credit card receipts, bills and other financial information.
Gottfried added that it is a good idea to carry as few credit cards in your wallet as possible, “or better yet, cancel the ones you don’t really use and keep a list of the ones you do.”
Such a list will assist people who believe they’ve become a victim of identity theft, as you can quickly call each firm to report the problem.
Gottfried ended his presentation with instructions of what to do if you suspect your identity has been stolen:
1) Contact your local police to file a report; if your mail is involved in the theft, report it to the local post office as well.
2) Call the fraud united of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, 888-397-3742; Equifax, 800-525-6285; TransUnion, 800-680-7289.
3) Order a credit report
4) Contact your bank and your creditors
5) Keep a log of who you talked to and when.
6) File a complaint with the FTC on their website (ftc.gov) or by calling 877-IDTHEFT.
Kozlowski shared her personal experiences with identity theft in opening her presentation, and explained what the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has in place to assist identity theft victims.
She explained that we all need to keep alert for signs that our personal information might have been compromised.
It is important to continually monitor balances of checking, savings and other financial accounts, watching for unexplained charges or withdrawals. Other indications of identity theft can be:
— failing to receive bills or other mail which signals an address change by someone;
— receiving actual credit cards for which you did not apply;
—denial of credit for no apparent reason;
—receiving calls from debt collectors or companies about merchandise or services you didn’t buy.
Kozlowski noted that protecting one’s identity takes a continual, diligent effort.
In information provided to those in attendance, it was emphasized that particular care should be taken with social security numbers.
“Very likely, your employer and financial institution will need your (number) for wage and tax reporting purposes,” the information details.
“Other private businesses may ask you for your SSN to do a credit check, such as when you apply for a car loan. Sometimes however, they simply want to our SSN for general record keeping.
“If someone asks you for your Social Security Number, ask the following questions:
• Why do you need it?
• How will it be used?
• How do you protect it from being stolen?
• What will happen if I don’t give it to you?
“If you don’t provide your SSN, some businesses may not provide you with the service or benefit you want. Getting satisfactory answers to your questions will help you decide whether you want to share your SSN with the business.”
As part of the identity theft effort, the Wells County Crime Stoppers are sponsoring a “Community Shred Day” Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
A $5 per box of documents donation will go towards the non-profit organization. The event will take place at the Washington/Main Commons area.
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