Minimize Your Risk - Personal Identity Theft

Manage Personal Information

• Before revealing personally identifying information, find out how it will be used and whether it will be shared with others.
• Note billing cycles. Follow up if your bills don't arrive on time.
• Guard mail from theft. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office. Promptly remove mail from mailbox. Request a vacation hold when necessary.
• Put passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts.
• Minimize the identification information and the cards carried.
• Do not give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you initiated the contact or know the party.
• Keep items with personal information in a safe place. Avoid community trash or recycling bins to dispose of items containing personal information.
• Keep personal information in a secure place in your home.
• Determine if your personal information at work is secure.
• Give your SSN only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible.
• Don't carry your SSN card; leave it in a secure place.
• Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every year.

Credit Bureaus

Equifax - (www.equifax.com)
To order your report, call: 800-685-1111 or write:
P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
To report fraud, call: 800-525-6285 and write:
P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian - (www.experian.com)
To order your report, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) or write:
P.O. Box 949, Allen TX 75013-0949
To report fraud, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) and write:
P.O. Box 949, Allen TX 75013- 0949

Trans Union - (www.tuc.com)
To order your report, call: 800-916-8800 or write:
P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022
To report fraud, call: 800-680-7289 and write:
Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634

Pre-Screened Credit Offers

To opt out of receiving pre-screened credit card offers: 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567- 8688) or visit (www.optoutprescreen.com).

Direct Marketers

The Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Mail, E-mail and Telephone Preference Services allow consumers to opt out of direct mail marketing, e-mail marketing and/or telemarketing solicitations from many national companies. Because your name will not be on their lists, it also means that these companies can't rent or sell your name to other companies.
To remove your name from many national direct mail lists, write:

To remove your e-mail address from many national direct e-mail lists, visit www.e-mps.org.
To avoid unwanted phone calls from many national marketers, send your name, address, and telephone number to:

For more identity theft information: Attorney General's Consumer and Criminal Justice Cyber Clearinghouse at www.wa.gov/ago.