Senator Maria Cantwell: Fighting Identity Theft

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY

1. Provide your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary; it's the key to your identity.
   
2. Tear up or shred documents containing personal information before throwing them away. Use a shredder to slice bills, bank statements, credit card receipts, investment updates.
   
3. Do not carry PIN numbers, birth certificates, and passports unless absolutely necessary.
   
4. Don't give credit card numbers to unsolicited telemarketers.
   
5. Be conservative when filling out warranty cards, subscription forms, prize-drawing cards and web-site registration forms.
   
6. Tell companies, especially your banks and credit card companies, not to sell your name. You might want to use the phrase: "no third party solicitations."
   
7. Write the three major credit bureaus and ask to "Opt Out" of the pre-approved credit lists they sell to companies. Call 1-888-567-8688. Since the "opt-out" option may expire after two years, remind yourself to do it again.
   
8. Remove your name from marketer's unsolicited mailing and calling lists. Write to Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735.
   
9. Review your credit card and other credit statements each month and make sure you know exactly what you're being billed for. Challenge any charges you didn't authorize.
   
10. Eliminate credit cards you rarely or never use. You must notify the card issuing company in writing that you are canceling the card, even if it was never activated.
    
11. Contact your card issuer to find out if any of your cardholder information can be given to partners or affiliates (third parties) of the card issuer. If so, ask for the address to write to cancel this authorization.
    
12. Be cautions about "trial memberships." Refuse the offer if you will be billed and later have to cancel if you don't like the product. Recognize that even if you do not give out your credit card number, you might still be billed.
    
13. If you believe your identity has been stolen and used by another to make purchases you didn't authorize, you need to act quickly to minimize the damage.
    

Source: Washington state Attorney General Christine Gregoire

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