Identity Theft for Teens

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=149 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="4d309951dvldtc.jpg"> <bR> <div> <B>          </B><B>   </B><B>--Type Short Title Here--</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=87 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="0065c3b2dvldtc.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.crimestop.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.crimestop.net"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700a0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="11" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">HOME</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="home.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FEATURED FUGITIVES"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700a0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="11" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">WANTED</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="unsolved_crimes_in_the_pikes_peak_region.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Major Crimes"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700a0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="11" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">UNSOLVED</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="sheriff_s_most_wanted.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Title 2"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700a0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="11" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">SHERIFF'S WANTED</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="contact.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How To Reach Us"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700a0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="11" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">CONTACT US</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="student_crime_stoppers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Pikes Peak Area Student Crime Stop"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700a0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="11" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">STUDENT CS</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="about.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ABOUT CRIME STOPPERS"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700a0ffffff00.gif" HEIGHT="11" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">ABOUT CS</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="sponsors.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Thank You! 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They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Skimming. They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Phishing. They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Changing Your Address. They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a "change of address" form. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">"Old-Fashioned" Stealing. They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records from their employers, or bribe employees who have access.  (FTC)</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>How to Protect Against Identity Theft</B></div> <div> <I><B>Deter - Detect - Defend</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>DETER</B></div> <bR> <div> Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your information. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal information before you discard them.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Protect your Social Security number. Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number on a check. Give it out only if absolutely necessary or ask to use another identifier. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you know who you are dealing with. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails; instead, type in a web address you know. Use firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to protect your home computer; keep them up-to-date. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov for more information.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Don't use an obvious password like your birth date, your mother's maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Keep your personal information in a secure place at home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your house. </div> <bR> <div> <B>DETECT</B></div> <bR> <div> Be alert to signs that require immediate attention: </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Bills that do not arrive as expected </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Unexpected credit cards or account statements </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Denials of credit for no apparent reason </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Calls or letters about purchases you did not make </div> <div> <B>Inspect: </B></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Your credit report. Credit reports contain information about you, including what accounts you have and your bill paying history. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The law requires the major nationwide consumer reporting companies—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—to give you a free copy of your credit report each year if you ask for it.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Visit <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>www.AnnualCreditReport.com</U></FONT> or call 1-877-322-8228, a service created by these three companies, to order your free credit reports each year. You also can write: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Your financial statements. Review financial accounts and billing statements regularly, looking for charges you did not make. </div> <bR> <div> <B>DEFEND</B></div> <bR> <div> Defend against ID theft as soon as you suspect it. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Place a "Fraud Alert" on your credit reports, and review the reports carefully. The alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures before they open new accounts in your name or make changes to your existing accounts. The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have toll-free numbers for placing an initial 90-day fraud alert; a call to one company is sufficient: </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Equifax: 1-800-525-6285</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289</div> <div> Placing a fraud alert entitles you to free copies of your credit reports. Look for inquiries from companies you haven't </div> <div> contacted, accounts you didn't open, and debts on your accounts that you can't explain. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Close accounts. Close any accounts that have been tampered with or established fraudulently. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Call the security or fraud departments of each company where an account was opened or changed without your okay. Follow up in writing, with copies of supporting documents. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Use the ID Theft Affidavit at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>ftc.gov/idtheft</U></FONT> to support your written statement. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Ask for verification that the disputed account has been closed and the fraudulent debts discharged. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Keep copies of documents and records of your conversations about the theft.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">File a police report. File a report with law enforcement officials to help you with creditors who may want proof of the crime.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission. Your report helps law enforcement officials across the country in their investigations.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Online: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>ftc.gov/idtheft </U></FONT></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">By phone: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338) or TTY, 1-866-653-4261</div> <bR> <div> <B>FOR TEENS</B> </div> <bR> <div> <B>Don't be intimidated: </B>Tell adults who ask for your Social Security number, driver's license or credit card numbers that you want to know how they'll use them and how they'll protect them from being stolen. </div> <div> <B>Guard your personal information: </B>Protect your passwords on your computers, wireless phones, pagers and other devices, and don't store personal identification information there. Shred all documents containing personal information. </div> <div> <B>Don't use your mother's maiden name as a password: </B>"A thief who discovers your mother's maiden name can also locate and obtain your original birth certificate," says Judith Collins, an identity theft expert. "With an original birth certificate, perpetrators can orchestrate a complete takeover of your identity." </div> <div> <B>Check yourself out: </B>When you turn 16, check bank and credit card statements regularly for irregularities and check your credit report at least once a year. </div> <bR> <div> <B>FOR PARENTS </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Monitor your child's credit: </B>Always check your teen's bank and credit card statements for irregularities. </div> <div> <B>Protect personal identification information: </B>Make sure your teenager doesn't keep his or her Social Security card and other valuable personal information in his or her wallet, purse, backpack or car. </div> <div> <B>Encourage password protection: </B>Help your teenagers create passwords that are hard to steal — a combination of numbers and letters only they will remember. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><U>For more information</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec05/idtheft_8-29.pdf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/featur"><U><B>Emerging Identity Theft Market Targets Teens as Newest Niche</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.qwest.com/highwayqwest/identitytheft/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.qwest.com/highwayqwest/identi"><U><B>Identity Theft Tips for Teens</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.idtheftcenter.org/index.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.idtheftcenter.org/index.shtml"><U><B>Identity Theft Resource Center</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft//" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/id"><U><B>Fighting Back Against Identity Theft</B></U></A><B> - Federal Trade Commission</B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>