Identity Theft

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Identity theft is the use of your identifying information—name, address, Social Security number, bank account number, credit card numbers, etc—without your knowledge or consent to commit fraud or other crimes. Identity theft can be a stand-alone scam or part of other scams.

Start with CCU’s Identity Theft article and the StraightTalk report Are You At Risk of Identity Theft. These articles provide basic information that you need to know.

These articles from the Consumer Information section of the FTC’s ID Theft website describe ID theft and what you can do to prevent it, recover from it, and protect your personal information.

• ID Theft: What's It All About—This fact sheet describes how ID theft occurs, how you can tell if you’re a victim, managing your personal information, how to be protective of your social security number, and what to do if your identity’s been stolen.
• Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft—This fact sheet describes ways to minimize your risk and provides detailed steps on what to do if you’re a victim.
• Privacy: Tips for Protecting Your Personal Information—Use these tips to wisely manage your personal information and prevent its misuse.

Identity Theft Resources from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse include fact sheets, IQ (“Identity Quotient”) tests, victim stories and hotline cases, and links to other ID Theft sites.

Identity Theft Resource Center has a variety of resources for victims of identity theft and those who are working on prevention. It also includes a section on workplace ID theft.

Prepared for Corning Credit Union by Remar Sutton & Associates, May 2005. Reviewed and updated May 2007. All rights reserved.