Employee Assistance Services
With you every step of the way.

Life Management Associates
 1848 Charter Lane
Lancaster, PA  17601
info@LMA-EAP.com


Identity Theft

Identity theft - when someone acquires your personal information and uses it without your permission - has become more common in recent years.  According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, nearly 10 million individuals are victims of ID theft each year.

In addition to financial problems resulting from the crime, situations such as harassment from bill collectors, credit problems, loan rejections, criminal investigation, etc. are often common.  Victims may spend many hours of their time to investigate the extent of the ID theft and resolve the problem.  The stress and emotions involved with dealing with the aftermath of ID theft can be overwhelming.

Here are some things you can do to reduce your risk of ID theft:

  • Protect your personal information.  Carry only those credit and debit cards that you need.  Be sure your cards are signed or write on them "Photo ID required".  When paying with debit or credit cards or using your ATM card, pick up all the receipts.
  • Guard your Social Security Number.  Don't carry your social security card in your wallet and never give out your number unless you initiated the contact.  Ask why your number is needed.  Never give your number through an unsecured website.
  • Safeguard your computer.  Create passwords made up of letters, numbers and symbols.  Don't use passwords that are easy to guess.  Be sure your computer access is protected by a firewall.
  • Shred documents containing personal or financial information.  Throwing documents into the trash puts you at risk from "dumpster divers" searching your trash for personal information.
  • Protect your mail.  Drop your outgoing mail at the post office, direction in a U.S. collection box or hand it to a letter carrier.
  • Check your credit reports.  Request your free annual credit reports from www.annualcreditreport.com to determine if there are any unusual requests or errors in your reports.

If you suspect that your identity has been stolen, here are some things to do:

  • Report any lost or stolen cards (credit, debit or ATM) immediately to the issuing institution.  Request that the account be closed and reopened under a different account number
  • Place a fraud alert with the three credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion).  You only need to contact one of the agencies.  When you request a fraud alert they will report it to the other two agencies.  You will also be able to receive a free credit report from each agency after requesting a fraud alert.
  • File a police report.  The police report will be helpful in clearing up your identity problems.
  • Report your incident to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at www.ftc.gov/idtheft or by phone at 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338).  They will share the information with law enforcement agencies nationwide to assist in investigations of ID theft.
  • Check out www.consumer.gov/idtheft for additional information and materials to assist you in reclaiming your identity.
  • Use your EAP to help you manage the emotional stress caused by identity theft.

It may take some work to protect your identity but knowing your personal information is secure is well worth the effort.

Sources:
Federal Trade Commission - 2006 Identity Theft Survey Report
Federal Trade Commission:  ftc.gov/idtheft

Elaine Boltz, B.A., CEAP and Certified Laughter Leader, is the Employee Assistance Services Account Executive at Life Management Associates.