In Your 20s? More Likely To Have Identity Stolen

Young people between 20 to 29 years old accounted for the highest number of identity theft complaints out of the 11 million Americans who had their identities stolen last year.

"Teaching young people to protect their personal information is especially important when they share housing such as a dorm room or apartment," said Janet Jenkins, administrator of the Division of Trade and Consumer Protection. "Shared living arrangements, particularly when personal spaces are not always locked, present good opportunities for identity thieves."

Jenkins suggests young citizens follow these recommendations:

• Check your credit report regularly. Your credit report contains the names and addresses of everyone who has extended you credit, such as a credit card issuer or a bank. Checking your report to determine if it contains any debts or creditors that you never heard of will tell you if someone has stolen your identity. You can obtain your FREE report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies each year. You can get your free credit report from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion by calling 1-877-322-8228 or online at www.annualcreditreport.com.
• Safeguard your mail. If possible, shred all unwanted mail or dispose of it in another secure manner. When you receive junk mail, open it before tossing it in the trash. It might contain personally identifiable information such as your birth date, or it might be a pre-approved credit card offer that someone else can fill out to obtain a credit card in your name. You can opt out of receiving pre-approved credit card offers by calling toll-free 1-888-5OPTOUT (567-8688) or by visiting www.optoutprescreen.com. You can reduce other junk mail by writing to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512.
• Guard all personal numbers, user names, and passwords. Don't carry your social security card with you and don't use your social security number as a PIN or password if you can avoid it. Keep all other documents that contain personal numbers, such as student id, driver's license or bank and credit card numbers in a place where others will not likely see, find or have access to them.
• Pay attention to internet security. Make certain you have firewall, virus, spam, and spyware protection on your computer. Check your browser security settings to make certain that they aren't too low. Always log off or lock your computer when you leave it unattended.
• Check your bills and bank statements. Look at your statements as soon as you get them to see if there are any unauthorized charges or withdrawals. If there are, report them your bank or credit card issuer right away. If you bank or pay bills online check your account frequently instead of waiting for the next statement. This will help you minimize any damage caused by an identity thief who has somehow gained access to your accounts.
• Don't fall for phishing scams. People who contact you and ask for personally identifiable information are usually identity thieves who are "phishing" for information to steal your identity. Never give out personally identifiable information unless you are the one who initiated the contact. Since identity thieves can make your caller id show any name or number they want, don't trust it. If you think the contact could be on the up-and-up, do some checking before giving out your information. For example, if your caller id or the caller claims to be the IRS, hang up, find the number for the IRS in a phone book or online. Call that number and ask whether it called you.

For more information on identity theft, or to file a complaint, contact the Office of Privacy Protection in the Bureau of Consumer Protection on the web at www.privacy.wi.gov; via e-mail at DATCPWisconsinPrivacy@wi.gov; or call the toll-free hotline at 1-800-422-7128.