When we think of identity theft we think of many different hazards.  I hope to cover most of your concerns and possible solutions.  If your identity is stolen, a consumer  attorney could help out, however, many of the steps mentioned here need no attorney.  The Federal Trade Commission website mentioned here has much more information for the layperson.   

Your credit rating has tanked for no apparent reason.   

Anyone who steals enough of your personal data can apply for credit in your name, using your good credit history to fund their projects.  The NC attorney general’s office suggests checking your credit reports every four month by cycling through the three credit companies available on https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp.  This website allows you to access your credit report annually from Experian, Equifax and Transunion.  Do not be fooled by the commercials for Free Credit Report.com.  Free Credit Report.com charges for their reports while the website I suggest above provides free reports from each of the three credit bureaus once a year.

Social Security Number is stolen and someone is impersonating you.   

If someone obtains your social security number they can use it for many things such as receiving government benefits, getting a drivers license or more.  Having someone else’s social security number opens the door to becoming you for most purposes. Do not provide your Social Security number unless the recipient provides information on how it will be secured.  Most places that ask for your social security number, don’t need it at all.  Most businesses can generate another ID number that is not your social security number.  Even merely providing the last four digits can be problematic. Studies have shown that the last four digits are the most random part of your social security number.  Diligent thieves can often figure out the first five digits by knowing where you were born and how old you are.  Avoid the problem by avoiding giving out your social security number as much as possible.

Your wallet is stolen with all your important documents.

Anyone who has had this happen can tell you how difficult and time consuming it is to replace these documents even if the thief does not attempt to use your identity.  Do not carry important documents in your wallet that you do not use all the time.  Your passport, social security card and medicare card do not belong in your wallet or handbag.  Even when you are overseas you can lock the important documents in a hotel safe or even store them in your suitcase. Unless you are crossing international boundaries, checking into hotels or buying certain designated items, you do not need to provide all your identification documents on demand.  Have your drivers license with you if asked for ID and offer to provide more later, if needed.      

Credit card number is stolen over the phone. 

Someone calls you to offer to sell something or raising money for charity and asks you to put the charge on your credit card.   They may not be who they say they are.  Make it a rule to never give out your credit card number when the other party places the call.  Reputable businesses and charities will allow you to find the number and call them to buy merchandise or donate money.  Do not merely call the number the caller provides.  This number often connects to a partner in crime.  Look up the number yourself on the internet or materials you have received in the mail. 

Someone one submits a Change of Address card and uses the information obtained from your mail. 

Some thieves will give the post office a change of address and divert all your mail to their address.  You must be  vigilant about  dates documents usually arrive in the mail.  If for example bills you are expecting do not arrive when you expect them, check with the post office to figure out what is happening.  You would think all your mail would be diverted but the post office is not so efficient and often lets some mail through to the old address and some bulk mail is not forwarded and continues to arrive at the original address.  Some people have taken months to figure out that most of their mail is being diverted someplace else.  .

Some one uses your Social Security number or insurance data to get free medical treatment -- or to collect insurance money for services that were never performed.

If someone impersonates you to get medical care or collect insurance, fictitious information can appear in your medical records.  This can lead to incorrect treatment or future refusal of insurance benefits. The information on this fictitious medical care may be going to a different address making if difficult to discover. Use the HIPAA provisions that require that you have access to all your medical records to frequently check the accuracy of the information in your medical records. There could be notations about medical providers that you have never seen.  Also, get a list of all benefits paid in your name from your insurer.  Be diligent to question any charges or payments that seem strange.  You should also contact the police if you suspect fraud

E-mails collecting information on you. 

There are two main types of e-mail scams.  One is an e-mail asking you to click on a link or open a document. Clicking on the link or opening the document allows computer savvy people to see into the information on your computer. Do not open documents or links that you are not expecting. If the sender appears to be someone you know, contact the sender to make sure it came from them.  Another e-mail scam represents themselves as a company you do business with, such as a bank.  They ask you to go to a site to provide information.  Call the business to make sure it is from them.  Also, for both these scams, businesses do not use generally use free e-mail services.  Look to see what the senders e-mail address is and if it looks weird do not click on the link or document without contacting the sender to make sure it is real.. Knowledgeable computer geeks can easily disguise the from address to make it look legitimate. They can even make it look as if you sent the message to yourself 

If identity theft happens to you, Rayan Ali, Esq. Out of Atlanta, GA has developed the following to do list.  He developed this for his clients after he was a victim of identity theft fourteen years ago.  

1. Make out a police report

2. Contact all banking and credit card companies and close the accounts.

3. Contact all 3 credit reporting bureaus to alert them and follow up in writing.

4. Contact business credit reporting companies: D & B and Experian Business and alert them and follow up in writing

3. Open new bank accounts and credit cards with fraud alerts enabled

4. Get additional info from Federal Trade Commissions Identity Theft website: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

Note: This is not legal advice.  I'm not your attorney.  Some of this information will vary in your state. This provides general information and a start in deciding what to tell your lawyer.

Nancy Mayer, Attorney-at-law