Because identity crimes are on the rise, we recommend that everyone in our campus community consider taking precautionary steps to help guard themselves against potential identity theft. Here are resources and information on what you can do.

Requesting a Copy of Your Credit Report

You can request a free copy of your credit report once a year from each of the three main credit bureaus through the Annual Credit Report Request Service. Many people choose to stagger their requests so they may receive a copy from one of the agencies every four months.

To request your free copy of your credit report visit www.annualcreditreport.com, call toll-free 877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually. They provide free annual credit reports only through www.annualcreditreport.com, 877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. When you receive your credit reports, review them carefully. Look especially for these indicators of possible fraudulent activity:

• Unfamiliar accounts, especially ones that have been newly opened.
• Unauthorized charges to existing accounts.
• Addresses that you have not lived at.

Placing a Fraud Alert

By placing a fraud alert on your consumer credit file, you let creditors know to watch for unusual or suspicious activity in any of your accounts, such as someone trying to open a credit card account in your name. This is a free service that will request creditors to verify your identity before opening a new account.

To place a fraud alert, call one of the following three major credit reporting agencies. Your phone call will take you to an automated phone system. Be sure to listen carefully to the selections and indicate that you are at risk for credit fraud. Fraud alerts last 90 days. If you are the victim of identity theft, you can choose a seven-year extended alert. Each reporting agency has further details on these options.

You only need to contact one of these agencies, and that agency will automatically forward the fraud alert to the other two agencies.

Choose one of the credit bureaus from the contact information below. Experian allows you to file a fraud alert online or by telephone; Equifax and Trans Union require you to call. If a phone report is not accepted by one of the agencies, try another. One report will cause all three to be notified.

Based on feedback from users who have gone through this process, Experian on-line seems to be the preferred method. The process is straight forward and you’ll be able to view your credit report on-line as part of the process. If you prefer the phone, you’ll be presented with a series of automated questions. Please read our instructions to assist you with responding to the questions.

Soon after you place a fraud alert, you will receive confirmation letters from all three credit reporting agencies with instructions on how to order free credit reports.

Facts about fraud alerts

Before you add a fraud alert to your credit report, be aware of these effects:

• You may be asked to provide proof of your identification when applying for instant credit. In some cases, the presence of a fraud alert may limit your ability to receive instant credit for in-store purchases that you plan to take possession of immediately.
• Creditors may contact you by phone at a designated number before opening a new account.
• A fraud alert should not interfere with the daily use of credit cards or banking or checking accounts.

The length of time that an alert stays on your record varies for each credit bureau. You can request an extension when the initial period has ended.

Extending a Fraud Alert

You may extend a free 90-day fraud alert by reinstating the alert when it expires. There is no limit to the number of times a free alert can be placed on your account, but the responsibility for reinstating the alert rests with you.

In certain circumstances, free alerts extending as long as seven years are available, but in order to receive such an extension, you must demonstrate that a crime has been committed against you. It is not sufficient to simply be on the list of people whose information may have been compromised.

If suspicious activity occurs on your account while a fraud alert is in place, the credit reporting agency that has detected the activity will alert you. You can then take this notification to any law enforcement agency and file a report if appropriate.

Please note that law enforcement agencies need proof that some attempt has been made to steal identity, successful or not, to create a crime report. Having your name on the list that was accessed in this case is not reason enough to file a report.

However, if upon examining your credit report you do not recognize a particular account or inquiry, you may take this information to the police to file a criminal report stating that you are potentially a victim of identity theft.

The report filed with the law enforcement agency can then be forwarded to the credit reporting agencies, which will put the longer fraud alert in place. Even with the criminal report, all requests for extended fraud alerts must be made in writing. More information about how to make these requests is available at http://www.idtheftcenter.org/artman2/publish/v_templates/Letter_Form_124B_Request_a_7_Year_Fraud_Alert.shtml.

The Identity Theft Resource Center recommends that you request a free credit report from each credit bureau once a year. By staggering the times when you order the free credit reports, you can monitor your credit independently without having to file a police report.

In most states you can put a “security freeze” on your credit file. A security freeze means that your file cannot be shared with potential creditors. Most businesses will not open credit accounts without first checking a consumer’s credit history. If your credit files are frozen, even someone who has your name and Social Security number would not likely be able to get credit in your name.

A security freeze is free to victims who have a police report of identity theft. Without a police report, the cost is approximately $10 to place a freeze with each credit bureau, for a total of $30. (Costs can vary by state.) The credit bureaus require that freeze requests be made in writing.  Detailed information on state practices can be found at http://www.consumersunion.org/campaigns/learn_more/003484indiv.html.

Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348

• Send by certified mail.
• Include name, current and former address, Social Security number and date of birth.
• Pay by check, money order or credit card (Visa, Master Card, American Express or Discover only). Give name of credit card, account number and expiration date.

Experian Security Freeze
P. O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013

• Send by certified mail.
• Include full name, with middle initial and Jr./Sir., etc.
• Include current address and home addresses for past five years, Social Security number, birth date and two proofs of residence (copy of driver’s license, utility bill, insurance statement, and/or bank statement).
• Pay by check, money order or credit card. Give name of credit card, account number and expiration date.

TransUnion Security Freeze
P. O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834

• Send by regular or certified mail.
• Include first name, middle initial, last name, Jr., etc.
• Current home address and addresses for past five years, Social Security number and birth date.
• Pay by check, money order or credit card. Give name of credit card, account number and expiration date.

Fee-based Monitoring by Credit Reporting Agencies

Each of the three agencies offers ongoing credit monitoring for a fee, ranging from about $5 a month to $35 or more. It is up to you to decide whether the services offered are worth the fee, which would be your responsibility to pay. Detailed consumer information is posted on the Identity Theft Resource Center site at http://www.idtheftcenter.org/.