1. Adopt a cautious approach to the release of any personal information. You may need to provide your mother’s maiden name on a credit card application, for example, but you should not respond to phone calls to “verify” that information. If someone calls and offers you a “prize” but demands personal information, ask them to send you a written application and carefully scrutinize everything sent before responding. Before revealing any personally identifying information, find out how it will be used and secured, and whether it will be shared with others.

2. Check your information regularly and maintain records of your banking and financial transactions. Periodically order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus. If you have been denied credit or believe you may be a victim of identity theft, there is no fee. (See below for contact information.)

3. Pay attention to your billing cycles and follow up with creditors if your bills don’t arrive on time. A missing credit card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address. Check the listed charges to ensure their accuracy.

4. Place passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts.

5. Secure personal information in your home, room or apartment, especially if you have roommates.

6. Guard your mail and trash from theft. Credit offers should be shredded before disposal, as should bank checks and other items containing personal information.

7. Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at all times. Carry only the identification information and the number of credit and debit cards that you’ll actually need.

8. Always be wary for promotional scams. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

9. Take the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Identity Theft Risk Assessment Quiz and check their website for more information.

10. Check out the Student Legal Information Center’s website, “Consumer Protection.”

1. Use the University’s automatic updating anti-virus software. For your personal computer, update your virus protection software regularly or when a new virus alert is announced.

2. Exercise caution when opening email attachments. Do not download files sent to you by strangers or click on hyperlinks from people you don’t know.

3. Download and install operating system update patches. Become aware of file-sharing risks.

4. Use a firewall program, especially if you use a high-speed Internet connection like cable, DSL or T-1, which leaves your computer connected to the Internet 24 hours a day.

5. Select hard-to-guess passwords and backup important files.

6. Use a secure browser – software that encrypts or scrambles information you send over the Internet – to guard the security of your online transactions.

7. Try not to store financial information on a laptop unless absolutely necessary. If you do, use a strong password.

8. Before you dispose of a computer, delete personal information. Use a “wipe” utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive.

9. Look for Web site privacy policies. If you don’t see a privacy policy, consider surfing elsewhere.

10. Check out Rutgers computer security links (RU Secure, Division of Information Protection and Security.) Report computer abuse incidents at abuse@rutgers.edu.

1. You are denied credit.

2. You start getting collection calls/mail.

3. You stop receiving mail or the volume of your mail greatly decreases.

4. You get bills for accounts you do not have or services you did not authorize.

5. Your bank account balance drops.

1. Contact all creditors with whom your name or identifying data have been fraudulently used. You may need to contact your long-distance telephone company if your calling card has been stolen or you find fraudulent charges on your bill.

2. Contact all financial institutions where you have accounts that someone has accessed or where someone has fraudulently created an account in your name. You may need to cancel those accounts, place stop-payment orders on outstanding checks and/or change your Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card, account number and Personal Identification Number (PIN).

3. Call your local police office and file a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors.

4. Contact the fraud units of the three principal credit reporting companies:

Equifax

To report fraud, call 1-800-525-6285 or write to P.O Box 740250, Atlanta, GA 30374-0250.

To order a copy of your credit report (small fee), call 1-800-685-1111 or write to P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241.

Experian (formerly TRW)

To report fraud, call 1-888-397-3742 or write to P.O. Box 1017, Allen, TX 75013.

To order a copy of your credit report (small fee), call 1-888-EXPERIAN or write to P.O. Box 2104, Allen, TX 75013.

Trans Union To report fraud, call 1-800-680-7289 or write to P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634.

To order a copy of your credit report (small fee), call 1-800-888-4213 or write to P.O. Box 390, Springfield, PA 19064.

5. Contact other agencies for other types of identity theft:

Your local office of the Postal Inspection Service, if you suspect that someone has submitted a change of address form with the Post Office to redirect your mail, or has used the mail to commit frauds involving your identity.

The Social Security Administration, if you suspect that your SSN is being fraudulently used. Call 1-800-269-0271.

The Internal Revenue Service, if you suspect the improper use of identification information in connection with tax violations. Call 1-800-829-0433.

6. Report the situation to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) either online or at 1-877-438-4338 (TDD at 202-326-2502.) The FTC is responsible for receiving and processing complaints from people who believe they may be victims of identity theft, providing informational materials to those people, and referring their complaints to appropriate entities. The FTC website lists practical advice for consumers and businesses, as well as citing relevant federal and state laws and providing a model “ID Theft Affidavit” for use in trying to reestablish credit.

7. You may also want to contact major check verification companies if you have had checks stolen or bank accounts set up by an identity thief.

8. Additional advice is offered to both those seeking to avoid identity theft and those who are victims by several independent organizations. These include:

U.S. PIRG Preventing Identity Theft

EPIC Online Guide to Privacy Resources

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

Identity Theft Resource Center

The Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice is home to The Identity Theft University-Business Partnership, which works in collaboration with business and industry to secure competitive and personal information and to prevent the theft of employee’s identities