Avoid
Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when someone steals personal and financial information,
such as your name, social security number, or account number, and uses
that information to:
- Open credit accounts in your name, or run up your existing account;
obtain loans in your name, which are not repaid
- Open bank accounts in your name and write bad checks; commit crimes,
resulting in warrants being issued in your name.
Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been
stolen can spend months or years and thousands of dollars cleaning up
the mess the thieves have made of a good name and credit record.
Despite your best efforts to manage the flow of your personal information
or to keep it to yourself, skilled identity thieves may use a variety
of methods to gain access to your data.
Tips to avoid identity theft:
- Use and regularly change passwords on your credit card, bank, and
phone accounts.
- Secure personal information in your home, especially if you have
roommates.
- Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the
mail, or on the internet unless you’ve initiated the contact or
you are sure you know who you are dealing with.
- Shred copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements,
checks, and bank statements, expired charge cards that you’re
discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail.
- Don’t carry your SSN card; leave it in a secure place.
- Give your SSN only when absolutely necessary, and ask to use other
types of identifiers.
- Carry only the identification information and the credit and debit
cards that you’ll actually need when you go out.
- Be cautious when responding to promotions. Identity thieves may create
phony promotional offers to get you to give them personal information.
- When ordering new checks, pick them up from the bank instead of having
them mailed to your home mailbox.
- Look for website privacy policies.
For information, or to file an Identity Theft Report, contact:
Consumer Protection Division
Local: (701) 328-3404 • Toll Free 1-800-472-2600
TYY: 1-800-366-6888.
www.ag.nd.gov
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