


CREDIT
BUREAUS & REPORTS
When
am I entitled to a FREE credit report?
You are entitled to
a free credit report after the denial of credit, if you believe
you are the victim of identity theft, if you receive welfare
benefits or if you are unemployed. Section 501 of the Fair
and Accurate Credit Transactions Act states that consumer reporting
agencies, upon the request of a consumer, will make all disclosures
once during any 12 month period without charge to the consumer.
Visit annualcreditreport.com to obtain a free copy of your
credit report from each of the major credit bureaus.
Do
I need to contact each of the 3 credit bureaus when I become
a victim of a financial crime?
Under the Fair and Accurate
Credit Transactions Act, when you place a call to one of the
3 major credit bureaus and place a fraud alert or victim statement
on your report, that alert or statement will also be placed
on your credit reports with the other 2 credit bureaus. Here
are the links for the three major credit bureaus Experian, Equifax,
and TransUnion.

POLICE REPORTS
Why
is it important to file a police report?
Filing a police report with your local or state police is important
because it provides authorities with a concise statement of
the crime that has occurred and lets creditors or businesses
know that you are serious about resolving the issue. In addition,
many creditors require a police report to resolve your dispute
and credit bureaus will automatically block the fraudulent
accounts and bad debts from appearing on your credit report.
Click here to locate contact
info for your local law enforcement agencies.
What
do I do if my local police tell me that they can't file a
police report for identity theft outside of their jurisdiction?
A resolution by the International Association of Chiefs of
Police has mandated that the area in which you live is the
proper place to file your report. Stress to the police that
even if they cannot investigate the crime, you still need a
report to provide to creditors or credit bureaus to block your
accounts or resolve disputes. Your local police department
also should have access to the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer
Sentinel database, which lists other complaints and patterns
of financial crime in your area.

IS
IT A SCAM OR NOT?
How
can I tell the difference between a scam and a legitimate
offer or business opportunity?
No advice is better than the old saying, "if it sounds
too good to be true than it probably is!" When was the
last time you won money from a lottery that you never played?
Why is it that people whom you've never met suddenly want to
transfer millions of dollars to you? How come someone will
pay triple your price for an item on Ebay and ask you to return
the excess payment? Because in all of these instances you are
being solicited to take part in a scam and criminals know that
the thought of easy money will force a small minority of unsuspecting
consumers to let their guard down. Visit LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com for some of the latest scams.
If
you are unsure of an offers legitimacy, do your homework and
ask plenty of questions either to the representative on the
phone or via email. Be wary of offers that rush you into making
a decision or that ask you to "keep this a secret." Look
for grammatical errors or untruths, and words like "no-risk" or "once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity." Contact the Eastern
District of Missouri ID Theft Task Force,
the Federal
Trade Commission,
or your local Better
Business Bureau, to see whether
they have ever heard of the offer or received similiar complaints.

SOCIAL
SECURITY NUMBERS
Who
has a right to request my social security number?
Only a handful of agencies or companies have a legal right
to ask you for your social security number. These include the
Internal Revenue Service, your state Department of Motor Vehicles
and Department of Welfare. In addition, your banks, financial
insititutions and those companies which provide you credit
may also request your social security number. Other than that,
you should question any other company or agency which asks
you for your social security number.
What
should I do if my social security number is misused?
In addition to contacting the appropriate law enforcement agency,
make sure you contact the Social Security Administration Fraud
Hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or write to the SSA Fraud Hotline,
P.O. Box 17768, Baltimore, MD 21235. For more information regarding
social security card fraud you can visit the Social
Security Administration - Office of Inspector General Website.
Can
I be issued a new social security number?
Under certain circumstances you can be issued a new social
security number but there are no guarantees that this number
won't be misused as well. While you may resolve your current
problem, a new social security number may affect your ability
to get approved for new credit. Furthermore, credit bureaus
may simply combine your credit history from your old social
security number with your new number. Consider these circumstances
carefully before contacting the Social Security Administration.

U.S.
MAIL/USPS CHANGE OF ADDRESS INFORMATION
How
can I be sure that identity thieves are not forwarding my
mail without my knowledge?
In April 1996, the Postal Service implemented a process to circumvent the fraudulent
submission of change-of-address orders. The Customer Notification (Move Validation)
Letter is a notification to postal customers who have submitted change-of address
(COA) orders (PS Form 3575, Change of Address Order). The notification is mailed
to Postal Service customers at their old address and includes details of the
COA order, providing customers an opportunity to verify the COA information on
file with the Postal Service. If a potentially fraudulent situation exists, the
customer is instructed to contact the local Post Office for assistance. For more
information on filing a change of address visit the U.S.
Postal Service Online Movers Guide.
Answer
taken from the 2003 Comprehensive Statement on Postal Operations,
USPS.

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Eastern District of Missouri ID Theft Task Force
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