1) EMPTY YOUR WALLET

     Only carry the credit cards you are going to use on your trip.  Do NOT carry your social security card in your wallet.  Leave the checkbook and blank checks at home.

2) NOTIFY YOUR BANK AND CREDIT CARD COMPANY OF YOUR TRAVEL PLANS

     They will know the upcoming purchases in the place you’re visiting are legitimate and will also know that use of your account in a totally different place could be a red flag for fraud.

3) HOLD THE MAIL AND NEWSPAPER DELIVERY

     Identity thieves love a pile of mail and other thieves look at a stack of unread newspapers as a welcome sign indicating that nobody is home.

4) USE SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER YOUR TRIP

     When you tell the Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn world that you are going on vacation,  you are broadcasting a vacant house with lots of documents that contain wonderful personal information inside.  Wait until after your trip to post pictures and talk about how much fun you had.

5) KEEP YOUR CREDIT AND DEBIT CARD IN SIGHT

     Whether you’re on vacation or in your home town, always keep your card with you or in your line of sight.   Skimming machines and cell phone cameras make it much easier for a potential thief to capture all of your account information.  The slight inconvenience of walking your bill and payment to the cashier can save you time and money as an identity theft prevention measure.

This article has more information on protecting your credit while on vacation and includes links for a checklist on what to do if identity theft happens to you.

Happy Travels!

NOTE: The information on this website is for education purposes only and is not intended as legal advice or a guarantee of identity theft prevention.

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Our article last week talked about credit monitoring and the difference between paying for a service and doing it yourself.  Another step that you as a consumer can take is to place a Security Freeze on your credit report with the three major credit bureaus, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian.  Most states have laws allowing consumers to do the freeze; you can find out your state’s requirements and related costs at the Consumer’s Union website here.

A security freeze is supposed to block access to, or “freeze”, a consumer’s credit report so that an unauthorized person trying to open a new credit account in the consumer’s name cannot do so.  The credit freeze should not allow the company that is considering issuing credit or a loan to check the credit report, in effect, stopping the lending approval process.

The Security Freeze works well for people who do not plan on applying for credit in the near future as there is a cost to the consumer to place the freeze, to temporarily lift it for loan applications, and then to reaaply it.

And just like the monitoring services, you want to check your credit report BEFORE placing a security freeze to determine that there are no fraudulent accounts listed on your credit file.  The Security Freeze will not stop or close unauthorized existing accounts, it only stops the opening of new accounts in a person’s name.  It also does not stop existing creditors from seeing your credit reports, only new ones.

The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has more info on credit freezes here.  See #4 on the page after you click through. 

Remember, for any credit monitoring to be effective, you should check your own credit report regularly and prior to signing up for monitoring or credit freezes.  Then continue to check your credit report throughout the year.  And of course, practice identity theft prevention in all aspects of your personal and professional life.

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Most credit monitoring services issue alerts when there is a new inquiry on your credit report.   This can be helpful to catch a potential fraud activity if you get an alert that Sears just had an inquiry for your credit when you know you have not applied for credit at Sears. 

However, credit monitoring does NOT do anything about existing errors on credit reports.  If there was a fraudulent account on your credit file and you sign up for credit monitoring and never look at your full credit reports, the fraud could continue until who-knows-when.  Additionally, some credit monitoring services only check one or two of the three major credit bureaus.  To do true monitoring, you want a service that covers all three bureaus as not every financial company pulls your credit (creating an inquiry) from all three bureaus.  If you’re only monitoring one bureau, and fraudulent accounts are being opened at companies that check one of the other two bureaus’ reports, you won’t know about it.

WHAT TO DO
> Check your own credit reports regularly.  You can do this at no cost.   See #10 on this Identity Theft Prevention list.  Do this BEFORE signing up for monitoring services and continue to do so regularly throughout the year.  Each consumer in America gets at least three no-cost reports each year.  You can check one of them every four months for continuous credit monitoring.

> When reviewing your credit report, look for unknown accounts; unusual or incorrect balances on your existing accounts; inquiries that you don’t recognize; and extra social security numbers or names that don’t belong to you.  Contact all three credit bureaus to correct the errors, even if you only review one of your reports.  By law, they must investigate the items you dispute and reply within 45 days.

> Read the fine print in any credit monitoring agreement before you sign up, including their cancellation policy and process.  The Identity Theft Resource Center has a great information sheet on this topic.

> Remember that most lenders in the U.S. use FICO scores for their credit and loan approval process.   Some monitoring services include a ‘credit score’ with your service.  If it is not a FICO score, it is not an apples-to-apples comparison to what a lender will be looking at. 

Yes, we’re all busy these days.  And we want fewer things to keep track of and worry about.  This is a friendly reminder against complacency.  Signing up for a monitoring service means you have a TOOL to assist you in your credit building and protection efforts.  Stay on top of it by staying tuned into it.

You can get a Credit Check-Up that gives you an analysis of your current credit situation as well as strategies to build your credit for only $100.  Contact us today to order yours.

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This rumor has been around for more than six years and seems to resurface every so often.  Snopes is a good place to check this type of email rumors.  They also have links to the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, and the Federal Trade Commission, FTC.  Both of these agencies have information about the cell phone rumor; the FCC’s most recent press release was in September 2009 and plainly states there is no truth to the rumor.  The FTC also has a statement on their website that says consumers do not have to register their cell phones on the Do Not Call directory.

Why is this important to getting better credit scores?

Because we include this information in our clients’ credit building plan that they receive as part of our consulting services.  Once your credit report is corrected, you want to protect it.  A common source of identity theft is pre-approved credit offers sitting in unlocked mailboxes.  So we recommend reducing the amount of solicitations you receive by taking the following steps.  We add the Do Not Call Registry on the list because most people don’t like the tele-marketing phone calls.

1) Do the Opt-Out.  Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Consumer Credit Reporting Companies are permitted to include your name on lists used by creditors or insurers to make firm offers of credit or insurance that are not initiated by you.  By opting out, you can have your name excluded from this list.  The registration is free.

2) Register with the Direct Marketing Association.  You can choose to be removed from DMA mailing, phone and email lists.  The registration is free.

3) Opt-Out with the companies you already have accounts with.  Most credit card, retail store and fuel card companies share your personal information with other divisions or companies.  You can Opt-Out by locating the company’s Privacy Policy online or in the small print booklet you received from them.   You can Opt-Out of both “affiliated” and “non-affiliated” companies for maximum reduction of solicitations.  Be careful to only Opt-Out of the Privacy Statement, not the Changes to Your Account as this could prompt the company to close the account. 

It is important to safeguard your credit.  Signing up to be excluded from calling and mailing lists can also save time from opening and shredding unwanted mail and from answering unwanted phone calls.

Learn more about Identity Theft Prevention here.

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WHAT TO DO
1. Make sure the data modem and the fax modem are different.  This prevents someone taking the information stored on the copier and easily transmitting it to another location through the open phone line. If the photocopier is connected to a fax modem, it increases the possibility for something similar to online identity theft where the thief steals information from the copier without even being on site.

2. Install an overwriting or encryption component in the copier. If your office uses a copier that is more than a year old, you should check online and see if a component kit has been created by the manufacturer of your copier to prevent information from being stored in an unencrypted form.  Xerox and Sharp created these components after realizing that existing technology could leave people vulnerable to identity theft.

3. Ask about security practices when using public copy machines for sensitive information. Whenever possible, only use copy machines you are familiar with and where you have some element of control when it comes to monitoring the security risk. Using public copy machines is much like using shared computers or Wi-Fi – they can leave your personal information exposed.

4. Buy your own printer or fax machine with photocopying capabilities. If you routinely photocopy sensitive information either for personal or business use, consider purchasing your own photocopy machine that has sufficient security features to either eliminate or encrypt stored information. Do not connect your machine to a community server.

5. Use passwords that protect the information you copy. Password protected copy machines may require those same passwords to retrieve information stored on the hard drive. When creating a password for the office copier, treat it the same way you would your own ATM pin code. Guard your password and don’t share it with anyone.

If your personal information has been compromised, follow these suggestions to notify the credit bureaus and other relevant agencies.  

Taking precautions to prevent identity theft is important.  Having a plan of action to follow in the event of ID theft can reduce the frustration and time it takes to get through it. 

If you have experienced fraud or mixed identity on your credit file, contact us today.  We have several years of experience and have successfully corrected inaccurate information from our clients’ credit reports, helping them to restore their good credit rating. 

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NOTE: None of BBB’s computer or e-mail systems is involved in this hoax, and the attack has not affected BBB’s computer system or compromised any BBB data.
The latest round of phishing e-mails reported to BBB appears to come from “seatac@bbb.org” and includes text similar to the following:
Complaint filed by: [consumer's name]
Complaint filed against: [business' name]
Complaint status: Open
Category: Contract Issues
Case opened date: [date]
Case closed date: Pending

The e-mail then provides a hyperlink to “access the complaint.” If you have received a fraudulent e-mail, do not click on any of the links or open any attachments; delete the message from your inbox, and run a virus scan.
The e-mail ends with a statement:
“On April 9th 2010, the consumer provided the following information: (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT received [sic] any response from the business.)
The form you used to register this complaint is designed to improve public access to the Better Business Bureau of Consumer Protection Consumer Response Center, and is voluntary. Through this form, consumers may electronically register a complaint with the BBB.Under [sic] the Paperwork Reduction Act, as amended, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. That number is 235-677.”
BBB is not a governmental agency and thus does not have an OMB number.   You can go to the BBB’s website for more information.

Protecting your personal information is important to safeguard your credit rating.  Scammers want to gain access to personal and financial data for fraudulent use.  ALWAYS beware of unusual or suspicious emails. 

Click here for more identity theft prevention tips.

Here are some tips to protect your personal information and your credit:

1) Keep your personal and tax information locked up.  Whether at home or the office, do not leave a pile of tax documents out in plain sight.  Your W-2 or 1099 have your social security number on it, as do any year-end interest and dividend statements from banks and financial institutions.

2) When taking tax documents anywhere, keep them with you.  Do not leave your briefcase or file folders in your vehicle in plain sight.  At the very least lock them in your trunk.  Carrying them with you may seem inconvenient, however dealing with identity theft is truly a time consuming inconvenience.

3) Keep all of your computer security updated; this includes your firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus programs.  Many people store sensitive and tax data on their home computers thereby making computer security a priority.  When you electronically file your taxes, be sure to use a strong, distinct password – NOT your usual password that you use on all your other accounts.  After your return is sent, you may want to store the tax file on a CD or flash drive that you can lock up rather than leaving all of that information on the computer.

4) Ask your tax preparer how your tax information will be stored and how many people have access to it.  If stored electronically, will it be encrypted?  You have a right to ask these questions to safeguard your information.

5) Place ALL outgoing mail in a secure locked box.  Take tax documents directly to a post office and place them in the indoor mail slot.  At the very least use an official blue USPS mailbox toward the end of the day right before the last pickup so your info is not sitting there for very long. 

6) After your taxes are filed, shred any statements or paperwork you do not need to keep.  Store tax returns in a sturdy safe or in a locked file cabinet along with other sensitive documents.  Most people have the required seven year’s worth of tax returns on hand and ID thieves know it, so keep them locked up and hard to get to.  Consider using a different label on the box as a distraction: pet records (whether you have a pet or not), farm equipment (whether you have a farm or not), dental records….you get the picture – something an identity thief won’t look twice at.

7) Beware of email scams which tend to increase at tax time.  If you receive any emails wanting your social security number or other financial information, you should send it to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov so they can investigate it.  Remember that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) does not send email notifications for electronic audits or refunds.  If something that says it is from the IRS seems suspicious, call the IRS Taxpayers Advocate line at 877-777-4778.

Use these tips to make tax time less likely to become ID theft time. 

Complete Credit Services is proud to provide credit education and to be a source of accurate information to help people understand their credit reports and scores. 

We offer a Credit Check-Up for specific recommendations based on your personal credit report.  You can contact us for your Credit Check-Up that includes a complete credit report review along with information on how to build your credit scores using the five parts of the credit scoring formula for only $100.

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- Always protect your ATM card the same as you would protect your cash.  If you have not yet copied the contents of your wallet, it’s time to do so.  Click here for more info.

- Protect your Personal Identification Number, your PIN.  Do not give the number to anyone else, do not write it down and on the card or in your wallet, do not use your birthday or street address for a PIN number. 

NOTE: ATM fraud is often committed by someone who knows the ATM cardholder. 

- Always take your receipt.  Even if the transaction was not completed, keep all papers associated with your ATM card.  When you’re ready to throw them away at home, shred them.

- Watch for unusual or bulkyATM machines.  In an ATM scam called “skimming”, the thieves attach a realistic looking electronic device to the ATM that can capture card information and PINS.  If the ATM is odd-looking to you, don’t use it.

- Practice personal safety, too.  Have everything ready when you get to the machine, don’t get your wallet out to retrieve the card while standing there.  Cover the keypad when entering your PIN.  Lock your car when you walk up to a machine.  Only use machines with ample lighting after dark.  Use common safety sense.

We all love the convenience of electronic banking.  Make sure you take measures to protect your finances and personal information at all times.

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1) Keep your personal and tax information locked up.  Whether it is at the office or at home, don’t leave your pile of tax documents out in plain sight.  Your W-2 or 1099 have your social security number on it, as do any year-end interest and dividend statements from banks and financial institutions.

2) When you take your tax information anywhere, keep it with you.  Do not leave your briefcase or file folders in your vehicle in plain sight.  At the very least lock them in your trunk.  Carrying them with you may seem inconvenient, however dealing with identity theft is truly a time consuming inconvenience.

3) Keep all of your computer security updated; this includes your firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus programs.  Many people store sensitive and tax data on their home computers thereby making computer security a priority.  When you electronically file your taxes, be sure to use a strong, distinct password – NOT your usual password that you use on all your other accounts.  After your return is sent, you may want to store the tax file on a CD or flash drive that you can lock up rather than leaving all of that information on the computer.

4) Do some background checks on the tax preparer you hire by checking with the Better Business Bureau; make sure they are certified in their field, ask for references.  Ask how your tax information will be stored and how many people have access to it.  If stored electronically, will it be encrypted?  You have a right to ask these questions ahead of time to safeguard your information.

5) Conduct your tax business with privacy.  Some businesses are set up in shopping centers or public areas, which are not typically sound proof or protected from a hopeful thief with binoculars.

6) Be sure to place your outgoing mail in a secure, locked box.  You may want to take your tax documents directly to a post office and place them in the indoor mail slot.  Thieves know that there is an enormous amount of personal information going into the mail system at this time of year.  Minimize your risk by going directly to the source.  At the very least use an official blue USPS mailbox toward the end of the day right before the last pickup so your info is not sitting there for very long. 

7) After you file your taxes, shred any statements or paperwork you do not need to keep.  Store your tax returns in a sturdy safe or locked file cabinet along with your other sensitive documents.  Most people have the required seven year’s worth of tax returns on hand and ID thieves know it, so keep them locked up and hard to get to.  Consider using a different label on the box as a distraction: pet records (whether you have a pet or not), farm equipment (whether you have a farm or not), dental records….you get the picture – something an identity thief won’t look twice at.

8) There is an increase in scams at tax time.  If you receive any emails wanting your social security number or other financial information, you can send it to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov so they can investigate it.  Remember that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) does not send email notifications for electronic audits or refunds.  If something that says it is from the IRS seems suspicious, call their Taxpayers Advocate line at 877-777-4778.

Use these tips to make tax time less likely to become ID theft time.  The old addage of an ounce of prevention certainly applies when it comes to protecting your personal financial information.

We provide credit education on our website because we believe people want accurate information to understand their credit and what they can do about it.  For more specific recommendations based on your personal credit report, contact us for your Credit Analysis.  For only $100 you get a complete credit report review along with information on how to build your credit scores using the five parts of the credit scoring formula.

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After you have removed the SS and excess credit cards and locked them in a safe place, take all of the items out of your wallet.  Copy both sides of your license, debit cards, insurance cards – everything that you regularly carry.  Then lock those pieces of paper up with the credit cards in the safe place.  If your wallet goes missing, you have all of the pertinent account numbers, and phone numbers, to contact every company you need to for immediate deactivation or closure of those accounts that may be at risk.

You can get more information on what to do when your wallet is lost or stolen here.  Print a copy of this list and put it with your financial papers so it is easy to find if you ever need it.  Please pass this info on to your friends and family so they have a copy, too.

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