TALKING THROUGH IDENTITY THEFT

A WEBINAR FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED

July 31, 2013

• Identity theft basics

• What is identity theft?

• How do you protect yourself, friends, and family?

• What should you do if identity theft occurs?

• Special topics

• Medical identity theft

• Public benefits identity theft

• Child identity theft

• Senior identity theft

What we will discuss

BASIC IDENTITY THEFT

What is identity theft?•When someone uses the personal information of someone else to pose as that consumer, in order to:

• fraudulently obtain goods or services, or

•conceal their true identity

How information is misused

Government Benefits 46%

Credit Card 13%

Utilities 10%

Bank 6%

Employment 5%

Loan 2%

Other 19%

Attempted Id Theft 7%

The impact of identity theftDenial of credit

Denial of medical care

Denial of pubic benefits

Loss/denial of employment

Arrest

Time and expense

PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM IDENTITY THEFT

How does identity theft happen?• Lost or stolen wallets

• Dumpster diving or stolen mail

• Theft by family, friends, advisors, assistants, or caregivers

• Corrupt insider

• High-tech identity theft (data breaches, phishing, malware)

Deterring identity theft• Empty your purse or wallet

• Shred

• Select assistants, advisors, and caregivers carefully

• Don’t give out your personal information unless you are sure who you are dealing with

• Monitor accounts

• Get your free annual credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com

• Keep anti-virus software up-to-date

• Be careful using social networks

• Use difficult to guess passwords

• When online shopping make sure site is secure

• Don’t click on links in unsolicited emails

Online safety

WHAT TO DO IF IDENTITY THEFT OCCURS?

Four steps 1) Contact Consumer Reporting Agencies

2) Contact companies

3) File a complaint with the FTC

4) File a Police Report

Step 1: Contact CRAs• Contact by phone or online:

• Equifax 1-800-525-6285 www.equifax.com• Experian 1-888-EXPERIAN www.experian.com• Transunion 1-800-680-7289 www.transunion.com

• Place fraud alerts on credit reports

• Obtain credit report free of charge

• Consider credit freeze

Fraud Alert•One call

•Creditors must take “reasonable steps” to verify identity

•90 days or 7 years

Credit Freeze• Write each bureau

• No one can apply for new credit – must thaw the report by contacting each bureau again

• Possible fee

Step 2: Contact companies where thief committed fraud• Contact fraud department

• Instruct company to immediately close or freeze the accounts that have been fraudulently opened or used

• Send written dispute including an Identity Theft Affidavit

• Request letter from company describing results of their actions

Step 3: File a complaint with the FTC• The FTC provides hotline phone counselors:

Call: 877-438-4338TTY: 866-653-4261

• The FTC has web-based complaint filing system:• https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

• Online you can print complaint as “ID Theft Affidavit”

Step 4: File a Police Report•Call the local police as soon as possible

•Note: for children, police report may not be as critical -- Uniform Minor’s Status Declaration may suffice

SPECIAL TOPICS

Medical identity theft•Thief uses your identity or health insurance to receive care

•Thief’s medical records may become merged with victim’s records

•May be difficult to remedy

How to assist victims• Report theft to local law enforcement

• Request medical records and privacy policy

from regular provider

• Request medical records and privacy policy

from each provider that gave care to the thief

• Write providers requesting correction

Government benefits identity theft

• Thief files a tax return using your Social Security number to get a tax refund

• Thief claims your child as dependent on tax return

• Thief uses your Social Security number to get a job and earn money you will be asked to pay taxes on

• Thief applies for public benefits using your personal information

Resolving benefits identity theft• Get a copy of your earnings record from the Social Security Administration

• Mark impostor activity• Provide corrected earnings statement to Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

• Request that Social Security Number be flagged

• IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit: 800-908-4490

CHILD IDENTITY THEFT

•Clean credit is appealing to identity thieves

•Child’s information readily available

•Theft of child’s identity can go undetected for long periods of time

Children are vulnerable to identity theft

•Protect what you have

•Be careful what you share

•Talk with children

•Safely dispose of personal information

Deterring child identity theft

Monitoring a child’s credit• Children should not have active credit files with CRAs

• No need to check child’s credit every year unless child’s information is at risk

• Order credit report close to child’s 16th birthday, so you can clear up any errors before child needs credit

• Ask for “manual search”

Contacting CRAs for a child• Explain that child is a minor (under age 18) who cannot legally enter into any contract

• Provide Uniform Minor’s Status Declaration and/or birth certificate

• Ask CRA to immediately remove all accounts, application inquiries and collection notices from child’s file

SENIOR IDENTITY THEFT

Identity theft and seniors• Three common perpetrators:

• Relative• Caregiver• Scammer

• Seniors may be more vulnerable • Many people have access to their information• Many seniors have built wealth over their lifetimes

• Considerations when the thief is a relative or caregiver

Reporting for seniors•Affidavit can be signed by personal representative. Attach copy of Power of Attorney or Guardianship Letter

•Any interested person may make a law enforcement report

CONSUMER EDUCATION RESOURCES

Consumer Education Resources

Consumer.govJust the basics, plain & simple• Website• Print• Read-along audio• Simplified video• Resources for community leaders

Consumer Education Resources

•Each topic includes:• What it is• What to know• What to do

Consumer Education Resources

Want to learn more?Download or print materials from FTC.gov/idtheft

• Taking Charge: What To Do If Your Identity Is Stolen

• Safeguarding Your Child’s Future• Identity Theft: What To Know, What To Do• Make It A Habit bookmark

Consumer Education Resources

Other consumer issuesconsumer.ftc.gov

Order free materials:bulkorder.ftc.gov

Disclaimers•Views expressed in this presentation are not necessarily those of the Commission or any Commissioners.

•Any answers to questions are my own opinion and not the Commission’s or any Commissioner’s.

Contact information

Lisa SchifferleTel. 202-326-3377lschifferle@ftc.gov

Carol Kando-Pinedackando@ftc.gov