IDENTITY THEFT PREVENTION

Are you at Risk?

Why are you at risk?•Utility companies•Insurance Companies•Credit Card Companies•Medical Records•Real Estate Records•Motor Vehicle Records•School Records•Military Records•Social Security Records•Banking Records•Employment Records•Purchasing Records•Tax Records•Leasing Records•Licensing Records

Five Common Types of Identity Theft

Driver’s License: Assuming your license information during an accident or infraction

Social Security: Assuming your social security number to hide tax liability or access credit status

Medical Records: Using your insurance information to pay for treatment or assigning diagnosis to your record

Character/ Criminal: Using your identity to conceal another’s during and after commission of a crime

Financial: Using your financial information to open credit accounts or make large purchases

8 Steps You Can Take To Reduce Your Exposure to Identity Theft

1. Be guarded with personal information- Verify before you give SSN or DOB information over the phone, mail or on the net. You don’t have to give information just

because someone asks for it.

2. Monitor your credit reports- You are entitled to

one free report per year:

Experian

Trans Union

Equifax

3. Be careful with your mail- When mailing

personal or financial information do not use an unsecured mailbox. Remove mail from your own mailbox promptly. Put a hold on your mail when you plan to be away from home for a while.

4. Guard your trash- Identity thieves have

been known to gather personal information from trash receptacles. Shred any documents that contain personal information before you throw them away or recycle them.

8 Steps You Can Take To Reduce Your Exposure to Identity Theft

5. Only give your Social Security number when absolutely necessary-

There are some legitimate reasons why you may be asked for your SSN. Your employer or financial institution may need it for wage and tax reporting, and it’s necessary when a credit check is required. Be sure to ask why and how it will be used.

6. Pay attention to billing cycles- If your bills don’t arrive on time, follow up with creditors/banks. A missing statement could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address.

7. Exercise caution online-Don’t share too much information about yourself and address online via chat rooms, social networking sites, blogs, etc. Use all the safety features and privacy settings on your computer. Use discretion on photos so as not to share more information than you intend.

Before making purchases online, look for the lock icon in the lower right of your browser window.

Don’t respond to email messages that ask you to provide personal information. Legitimate entities will not ask you to provide personal information via email.

8 Steps You Can Take To Reduce Your Exposure to Identity Theft

8. More about computers: Files may remain on your computer’s hard drive

and can be retrieved even if you deleted them Use a “wipe” utility program that meets DOD

standards Install and keep up-to-date firewalls and other

security features like anti-virus and anti-spyware programs on the computer

Use only your own secure computer when working with your personal or financial data

Develop complex passwords and keep them private

Monitor Other Personal Information from Time to Time Social Security mails an annual statement; are

earnings correct? You may request a copy at any time: Call 800-772-

1213 or visit www.ssa.gov and download form SSA-7004 to mail in your request

Driver’s Record mistakes could lead to higher insurance

Contact local Department of Motor Vehicles to request a copy; costs range from $1 to $10

Medical Information- MIB Group, Inc. is an industry trade association whose members are underwriters. Contact them at 866-692-6901 or visit www.mib.com for your free report

There are no guarantees that it won’t happen to you! An estimated 9 million Americans have their

identities stolen each year ATM’s can be rigged to copy bank card account

numbers and PIN numbers Dumpster divers also target trash cans for copies

of checks, bank statements, and other personal paperwork

Identity theft criminals do not discriminate because of age

Online exchanges only represent a small percent of this crime; most fraud occurs through paper documents and stolen information

Identity Fraudsters Take More Than Money

It can take minutes to steal your identity, but years to repair the financial damage

Almost one quarter of victims of new account and other frauds did not discover the misuse of information for at least six months after it started

37% of victims experienced problems beyond the time they spent recovering their out of pocket expenses. Problems include being harassed by debt collectors, unable to use existing credit cards, subjected to criminal investigations and having difficulty accessing bank accounts

Identity Theft Shield TM

Marketed by Pre-Paid Legal Services Inc. Service provided by Kroll Inc. You will receive an up-to-date credit report

through Experian at no charge Credit files will be regularly monitored and

suspicious activity will be brought to your attention

You will receive prompt notice if any new accounts are opened in your name or if derogatory notations are added to your credit report

Identity Theft Shield TM

Restoration services provided by Kroll If your identity is stolen you need more than just

information about how to restore your name and credit rating

Fraud alert notifications will be sent on your behalf and applicable follow up will be done with affected agencies and institutions

Proactive searches of applicable local and national databases will be made on your behalf to look for information you may not have detected

Kroll employs ex-FBI and Secret Service agents and retired Law Enforcement that conduct investigations in these cases

Safeguard for Minors Children under the age of 18 have a much higher risk of

identity theft than is commonly realized. Thieves target them because the child’s information may be used for years without discovery…until the minor is old enough to establish credit

Education, early detection, and expert consultation make for a powerful package of tools to minimize the risk

Up to four minor children can be enrolled for monitoring to detect existing credit files and it will cost the member only $1 more per month per family

All dependent children up to 18 are covered

Is it worth .47 cents a day?

Alan F. Greggo, CFE CPP

Profit Rx LLC Profitability remedies for retail and healthcare professionals since 1980

Mason, OH

(513) 236-2642

Alangreggo@zoomtown.com

Alangreggo@Prepaidlegal.com