Dear Friend,
As a member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions, I know how devastating identity theft and inaccurate credit reports can be.
In my ongoing effort to combat the growing threat of identity theft, I am writing today to make you aware of a new type of Internet piracy called "phishing." It's pronounced "fishing," and that's exactly what these thieves are doing: "fishing" for your personal financial information. What they want are account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, and other confidential information that they can use to loot your checking account or run up bills on your credit cards. If you receive such e-mails, DO NOT RESPOND.
If you provide the requested information, you may find yourself the victim of identity theft. With the sensitive information obtained from a successful phishing scam, these thieves can take out loans or obtain credit cards and even driver's licenses in your name. They can do damage to your financial history and personal reputation that can take years to unravel. But, if you understand how to protect yourself from identity theft, you can help stop these crimes.
How to protect yourself:
Never provide your personal information in response to an unsolicited request, whether it is over the phone or over the Internet. E-mails and Internet pages created by phishers may look exactly like the real thing. They may even have a fake padlock icon that ordinarily is used to denote a secure site. If you did not initiate the communication, you should not provide any information.
If you believe the contact may be legitimate, contact the financial institution yourself. You can find phone numbers and Web sites on the monthly statements you receive from your financial institution, or you can look the company up in a phone book or on the Internet. The key is that you should be the one to initiate the contact, using contact information that you have verified yourself.
Never provide your password over the phone or in response to an unsolicited Internet request. Do not be intimidated by an e-mail or caller who suggests dire consequences if you do not immediately provide or verify financial information. A financial institution would never ask you to verify your account information online. Thieves armed with this information and your account number can help themselves to your savings.
Review account statements regularly to ensure all charges are correct. If your account statement is late in arriving, call your financial institution to find out why. If your financial institution offers electronic account access, periodically review activity online to catch suspicious activity. What to do if you fall victim:
Contact your financial institution immediately and alert it to the situation.
If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, you should contact one of the three major credit bureaus and discuss whether you need to place a fraud alert on your file, which will help prevent thieves from opening a new account in your name. Here is the contact information for each bureau's fraud division:
|
Equifax
800-525-6285
P.O. Box 740250
Atlanta, GA 30374 |
Experian
888-397-3742
P.O. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013 |
TransUnion
800-680-7289
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92634 |
Report all suspicious contacts to the Federal Trade Commission through the Internet at www.consumer.gov/idtheft, or by calling 1-877-IDTHEFT.
For more information on the "phishing" email scam, visit: http://www.occ.gov/consumer/phishing.htm. Sincerely,
Dennis Moore
Member of Congress