Resources to Help You Learn About and Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
There is a new bill that is being passes, it is a very weak bill but if passed, it will prohibit using a social security number for identification purposes. This bill should take affect in 2006.
If you feel you have been a victim of identity fraud, contact the Department of Justice, consumer protection division. They offer mediation with identity theft; they also have a hot line for consumers that is available 8-5 Monday - Friday. They maintain a database of written complaints that goes back to 1998. They offer seminars to school, seniors or your group.
Be aware that 40 million crooks obtained credit card numbers this past year, "Be Suspicious". Also be aware that most identify theft is not reported, especially when it involves family members, so the statistics are off. These statistics show that consumers lost $5 billion last year when in actuality it is closer to $50 billion. There have been an estimated 9.9 million victims in America.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service www.usps.com/postalinspectors
Federal Trade Commission www.consumer.gov.idtheft 877-IDTHEFT or TTY - 202-326-2502
U.S. Secret Service www.secretservice.gov
Department of Justice www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation www.fdic.gov/consumers
Equifax www.exuifax.com 800-525-6285
Experian www.experian.com 888-397-3742
Trans union www.transunion.com 800-680-7289
Social Security Administration Fraud Hotline PO Box 17768 Baltimore, MD 21235 800-269-0271 www.socialsecurity.gov
North American Securities Agency Administrators (NASAA) www.nasaa.org
Better Business Bureau www.search.bbb.org/search.html
United States Postal Service www.usps.com
National Do Not Call Registry www.donotcall.gov 888-382-1222
Direct marketing Association Consumer Assistance http://www.dmaconsumers.org/consumerassistance.html Registering by mail is FREE and registering online is $5.00. To remove your name from national mailing lists by mail:
Mail Preference Service Direct Marketing Association PO Box 643 Carmel, NY 10512
Identity Theft Resource Center www.idtheftcenter.org 858-693-7935
International check service 800-526-5380
Telecheck 800-927-0755
Certegy Check Services 800-437-5120
Internet Fraud Complaint Center http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp
Michelle Dunn has over 17 years experience in credit and debt collection. She is the founder of Never Dunn Publishing, LLC, is a writer, consultant and the Editorial Advisor for Eli Financial Debt Collection Compliance Alert Newsletter. Michelle started M.A.D. Collection Agency and ran is successfully for 7 years. She owns and runs Credit & Collections.com a free online community for credit and business professionals.
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