Hillsborough County Extension
Identity Theft

• Immediate steps to take if you are a victim
• Minimize your risk of identity theft
• New tool to prevent identity theft

Immediate steps to take if you are a victim:

• Place a fraud alert on your credit reports.
• Contact the toll-free fraud number of any of the three consumer reporting companies below to place a fraud alert on your credit report. You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert. The company you call is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of your report, too.
• • Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com ; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
  • Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com ; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
  • TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com ; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
• Contact the companies that handle the accounts and close those accounts. Keep track of all correspondence with the company.
• File a report with the police department.
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission - www.ftc.gov

Minimize your risk of identity theft:

• Order your free credit reports. You can order your free reports by calling 1-877-322-8228 or online at www.annualcreditreport.com
• Be warned- many companies advertising free credit reports are selling products. Use the phone number and web address listed above to make sure you are not going to be charged for your free reports.
• Do leave mail in your mailbox. Consider using a post office box.
• Monitor your credit statements and bank accounts on a regular basis.
• Opt-out of getting credit card offers in the mail, call 1-888-567-8688.
• Learn more about identity theft- www.consumer.gov/idtheft 

New Tool to Prevent Identity Theft

Compiled by Lisa Leslie, Hillsborough County Extension Agent

A new credit protection law went into effect in Florida on July 1, 2006. The aim of the legislation is to give consumers greater control of their credit reports by allowing them to put a security freeze on their reports. This will mean that credit reporting agencies can not disclose information in your credit report to would-be creditors. The goal is to prevent a thief from being able to open new credit accounts in your name.

One point to consider is the security freeze will prevent a consumer from the convenience of being granted instant access to credit. However, a consumer who needs to shop for a new loan or credit account can have the freeze temporarily lifted by contacting the credit bureaus. The law says credit reporting agencies have three days from the time they receive the request to lift the freeze.

The credit freeze should not effect a consumer’s ability to shop for insurance. Insurance companies are exempt from the freeze for the purposes of underwriting an insurance policy and in setting or adjusting rates.

So how much does this new protection cost? If you are 65 or older or can prove you were a victim of identity theft there is no charge to place a security freeze. Otherwise each of the three major credit bureaus can charge up to $10. Everyone (including those over 65) will have to pay each credit bureau $10 to have the freeze temporarily lifted.

In order to place a freeze you must send a certified letter to each of the three credit bureaus. Once they receive the letter they have five days to comply with your request. The consumer reporting agencies must then send a written confirmation of the security freeze to you within 10 days. They will also send you a password that can be used to temporarily remove the freeze. Keep the passwords in a safe place because you can be charged $10 if you need to have a credit bureau re-issue your password.

Link to the actual security freeze bill ( HB 37) on the Florida Legislature website www.myfloridahouse.gov  The final version is the Enrolled version.