IT COULD BE YOU

Welcome to the world of Identity Theft and Identity Fraud. Will YOU be the next victim? “Once considered primarily an economic crime or a juvenile pastime, Identity Crime is now recognized as a security breach that may have enormous consequences for our nation.”

What is identity theft? Identity theft: Someone steals your personal information Uses it without permission Can damage your finances, credit history and reputation Identity thieves can cause a lot of damage – and cost you time, money, and patience to repair. Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information and uses it without permission. Thieves can run up your credit accounts, get new credit cards, medical treatment or a job – all in your name.

Warning Signs How do you know if your identity was stolen? mistakes on accounts or your Explanation of Medical benefits regular bills go missing calls from debt collectors for debts that aren’t yours notice from the IRS calls or mail about accounts in your minor child’s name

Identify theft video 4min http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBheC5afBfc

ID Theft Types Theft or Misuse of Personal or Financial Identifiers to Obtain Something of Value or Facilitate Other Criminal Activity. Identity Theft Credit Card Fraud Access Device Fraud Check Fraud Bank Fraud False Identification Fraud Passport/Visa Fraud

Scope of the Problem Since 1990: 33 million victims in US Perceived low risk and high profit Further facilitates other crimes Increasing gang/organized crime involvement 53% of victims do not notify police

How Identity Thieves Work Here are some ways that identity thieves work: They open a new credit card account, using your name, date of birth, and Social Security number. When they use the credit card and don’t pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report. They call your credit card issuer and, pretending to be you, change the mailing address on your credit card account. Then, your imposter runs up charges on your account. They establish cellular phone service in your name. They open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on that account. They can establish a Drivers license with your information on it.

Electronic Pickpocketing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJbtMclbatU

PREVENTION # If you are a victim of identity theft, there are three basic actions you can take. First, contact each of the three major credit bureaus and have a "fraud alert" placed on your file. Equifax 800-685-1111 800-525-6285 www.equifax.com Experian 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) 888- www.experian.com Trans Union 800-916-8800 800-680-7289 www.tuc.com

PREVENTION Contact these numbers Second, contact the creditors for any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently and then established passwords for those accounts you currently have. Contact these numbers Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 877-438-4338 U. S. Postal Inspection Service 800-275-8777 Social Security Administration 800-772-1213 To Report Check Fraud Check Rite 800-766-2748 Chex Systems 800-328-5121 NPC 800-526-5380 Tele-Check 800-366-2425

Reduce Your Risk Read your bank, credit and account statements, and Explanation of Medical benefits. Look for charges you didn’t make. Be alert for bills that don’t arrive when you expect them. Follow up if you get account statements you don’t expect.

Reduce Your Risk Respond quickly to notices from the Internal Revenue Service. If someone has used your Social Security number on a tax return, contact IRS’s Specialized Identity Theft Protection Unit 1-800-908-4490

Reduce Your Risk Secure your Social Security Number. If someone asks for it, ask: Why do you need it? How will it be used? How do you protect it?

Reduce Your Risk Protect Your Personal Information. Keep your important papers secure. Be careful with your mail. Shred sensitive documents. Don’t overshare on social networking sites. Protect your personal information. Keep your important papers secure. Lock up your financial documents and records in a safe place at home – and lock up your wallet or purse at work. Limit what you carry. Take only the identification, credit and debit cards that you need. Be careful with your mail. Take outgoing mail to the post office collection boxes or the post office. Remember to remove mail that arrives in your mailbox. If you’re going to be away for several days, ask for a vacation hold on your mail. To do that, go to your local post office or visit www.usps.com/holdmail. Shred receipts, credit offers or applications, insurance forms, physician statements, check or bank statements and other similar documents. Destroy labels on prescription bottles before you throw them out. Don’t overshare. If you post too much information about yourself on social networking sites, and identity thief can find out information about your life, use it to answer challenge questions on your accounts and get access to your money and personal information. Never post your full name, Social Security number, address, phone number or account numbers in publicly accessible places. Consider limiting access to your networking page to a small group of people.

Reduce Your Risk Be alert to online impersonators. Do you know who is getting your personal information? Don’t click on links in emails. Contact customer service. Be alert to online impersonators. Be sure you know who is getting your personal or financial information online. If a company that claims to have an account with you sends email asking for personal information, don’t click on links in the email. Instead, type the company name into your web browser, go to their site, and contact them through customer service. Or, call the customer service number listed on your account statement. Ask whether the company really sent a request.

Reduce Your Risk Protect your computer. Use anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, and a firewall. Create strong passwords. Keep your computer’s operating system, browser, and security up to date. Create strong passwords that mix 10 or more letters, numbers and special characters. Don’t use the same password for more than one account. Use anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, and a firewall on your computer. Protect against intrusions and infections that can compromise your computer files or passwords by installing security patches for your operating system and other software. Set your computer’s operating system, web browser, and security system to update automatically.

Reduce Your Risk Protect your computer. Encrypt your data. Be wise about wi-fi. Encrypt your data. Keep your browser secure. Use encryption software that scramble information you send over the Internet. A “lock” icon on your browser’s status bar means your information will be safe when it’s transmitted. Be wise about wi-fi. Public wireless networks are in a coffee shop, library, hotel or other public place. Before you use a public wi-fi network, see if your information will be protected. If you use an encrypted website, it protects only the information you send to and from that site. If you use a secure wireless network, all the information you send on that network is protected.

Reduce Your Risk Protect your computer. Lock up your laptop. Read privacy policies. Keep your laptop safe. Keep financial information on your laptop only when necessary. Don’t use an automatic login feature that saves your user name and password, and always log off when you’re finished. If your laptop is stolen, it’ll make it harder for the thief to get your personal information. Read privacy policies. Yes, they’re long and complex but they tell you how the site maintains accuracy, access, security, and control of the personal information it collects, how it uses the information, and whether it provides it to third parties. If you don’t see a privacy policy, consider doing business elsewhere.

Minimize Your Risk While you probably can't prevent identity theft entirely, you can minimize your risk. By managing your personal information wisely, cautiously and with an awareness of the issue, you can help guard against identity theft: Make a police report. Never respond to unsolicited requests for your Social Security number, financial data etc. Pay attention to your billing cycles. Keep items with personal information in a safe place. Before discarding, shred everything with personal information on it Check credit card and bank statements for accuracy. Obtain a credit report annually for accuracy.

Minimize Your Risk Guard your mail from theft. Put passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your birth date, the last four digits of your SSN etc. Minimize the identification information and the number of cards you carry to what you'll actually need. Don’t carry your social security card with you. *As an employee, you are responsible to minimize the risk of customers personal information. If violated, the employee is violating the Privacy Act of 1974 and can be penalized.

FEDERAL LAW Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act In October 1998, Congress passed the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 (Identity Theft Act) to address the problem of identity theft. Specifically, the Act amended 18 U.S.C. § 1028 to make it a federal crime when anyone: Knowingly transfers or uses, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of Federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable State or local law.

TO ENSURE IDENTITY THEFT LAWS ARE MORE SEVERE GO TO YOU LEGISLATURE TO ENSURE IDENTITY THEFT LAWS ARE MORE SEVERE Federal To ensure that all credit card companies are liable for approving credit card applications. To ensure that full credit card numbers are not placed on receipts. To ensure that children do not receive social security number until they get a job State (KS https://portal.kansas.gov/ ) To ensure that businesses identify you (I.E. drivers license) when using a credit card or MAC card for purchases. If not obeyed, businesses would be penalized at the discretion of the state. Reference: For more information on identity theft laws in your state go to: www.consumer.gov/idtheft/index.html

5 steps on what to do if your identity is stolen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QizfpGI7acE

If your identity is stolen… STEP 1: Place an initial fraud alert on your credit report. Contact any one of the three nationwide credit reporting companies. Equifax 1‑800‑525‑6285 Experian 1‑888‑397‑3742 TransUnion 1‑800‑680‑7289 If Your Identity is Stolen... Flag Your Credit Reports Call one of the nationwide credit reporting companies, and ask for a fraud alert on your credit report. The company you call must contact the other two so they can put fraud alerts on your files. An initial fraud alert is good for 90 days. Equifax 1‑800‑525‑6285 Experian 1‑888‑397‑3742 TransUnion 1‑800‑680‑7289

If your identity is stolen… Step 2: Order your credit reports. Contact each of the three credit reporting companies. ID theft victims get a copy of their reports for free. Read your reports carefully and correct any errors. Order Your Credit Reports Each company’s credit report about you is slightly different, so order a report from each company. When you order, you must answer some questions to prove your identity. Read your reports carefully to see if the information is correct. If you see mistakes or signs of fraud, contact the credit reporting company.

If your identity is stolen… Step 3: Create an Identity Theft Report. Gives you rights that help you to recover more quickly. File a complaint with the FTC. Ftc.gov/complaint or 1-877-438-4338. This will become your FTC Affidavit. File a police report. Create an Identity Theft Report An Identity Theft Report can help you get fraudulent information removed from your credit report, stop a company from collecting debts caused by identity theft, and get information about accounts a thief opened in your name. To create an Identity Theft Report: • file a complaint with the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint or 1-877-438-4338; TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Your completed complaint is called an FTC Affidavit. • take your FTC Affidavit to your local police, or to the police where the theft occurred, and file a police report. Get a copy of the police report. The two documents comprise an Identity Theft Report.

Your FTC Affidavit and police report make an Identity Theft Report.

Contact the FTC File an identity theft complaint with the FTC: ftc.gov/complaint 1-877-ID-THEFT 1-877-438-4338 Learn more identity theft: ftc.gov/idtheft Order free materials: bulkorder.ftc.gov Thanks for your time and attention. I hope you’ve picked up some tips on how to reduce your risk of identity theft. [If recovery from IDT is discussed: And learned what you should do immediately if your identity is stolen.] I’m distributing the handouts now. (Copies of Identity Theft: What to Know, What to Do) Does anyone have questions? I’ll try to answer them but you can always go to the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency. They can be reached at this contact information.