SAFETY: Identity Theft Prevention - Add Identity Theft Prevention to your New Year’s resolution
Dear Public Safety Friends,
Identity theft has become one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. Identity Theft is a crime in which an impostor obtains key pieces of personal identifying information such as Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers and uses them for their own personal gain. It can start with lost or stolen wallets, pilfered mail, a data breach, computer virus, phishing, a scam, or paper documents thrown out by you or a business (dumpster diving). This crime varies widely, and can include check fraud, credit card fraud, financial identity theft, criminal identity theft, governmental identity theft, and identity fraud.
Start the New Year right:
· Get a FREE annual credit report, www.annualcreditreport.com, check and review your credit report, report any discrepancies to the credit reporting agency. Put an alert on your credit if necessary.
· Stop pre-screen credit card offers coming to your home: www.optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPTOUT.
· Stop tele-marketing calls: www.donotcall.gov
· Stop receiving unwanted catalogs and other telemarketing mail: www.dmachoice.org
· Shred your old credit card, bank statements, bills, etc. to avoid dumpster diving or someone going through your garbage to steal your personal information.
For more information on ID Theft or what to do if you are a victim? Please go to: www.ftc.gov Federal Trade Commission.
Click here for a short video on ID Theft www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/video/avoid-identity-theft-video.html
Please share this message with Students, Faculty, Staff, Family and Friends, the more people know the more we can “Take a Bite Out of Crime”
Happy New Year!
Thank You
Ricardo Morales
Manager Crime Prevention Programs
Crime Prevention Specialist
Columbia University
Department of Public Safety
212-854-8513
www.columbia.edu/cu/publicsafety
