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| Newsletter – March 2007 In This Issue: Identity Theft and You | Tip of the Month | ID Theft Quiz | Featured Product | Know-How |
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Tip of the Month |
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| Guard your Credit Cards:
We know
you’re careful about your finances, but here are a few
ways to make sure your credit card information stays
where it belongs. In the end, communication is your best
tool! If you have any concerns with your card — it’s
lost, stolen, or a new one hasn’t arrived — go ahead and
contact the card issuer. Watch cashiers and other people
who come in contact with your card when you make
purchases. Finally, remember to cut up your expired
cards thoroughly to keep your information as safe as
possible. |
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Identity Theft and You
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As much as we wish
that identity theft and credit fraud could be prevented
entirely, they cannot. But by knowing the ins and outs of how
identity theft strikes, you can take extra precautions to
protect yourself against the ravages of fraud. Let us help you
learn what goes on in identity thieves’ heads and how you can
outsmart them! The effects of identity theft can be
devastating, since it may take months to discover that the
damage has been done. But, armed with the proper knowledge and
monitoring, you can strike back.
Identity thieves
can obtain your information in ways you may have never even
considered. By knowing their sources, you can take every
precaution necessary to secure your personal information. Your
sensitive documents can be found in your mailbox, your trash
can, or your purse or wallet. Keep this information out of
thieving hands by shredding all personal documents and
depositing your outgoing mail in a post office collection box.
Be sure to place your mail on hold when you go on vacation and
make every effort to secure your mail or pick it up shortly
after delivery.
A thief might even
go so far as to complete a change of address form in your name
to receive your documents or pose as a landlord or another
person with lawful right to such information. Whether on the
phone, by mail, or on the Internet, never give anyone your
credit card number, Social Security number, or other personal
information for a purpose you don't understand. Ask to use
other types of identifiers when possible or try to seek
verification. Don’t be shy, most people will applaud your
careful credit protection — except, of course, the thieves
you’re trying to thwart! Information can even be stolen by
employees where you make credit card purchases, from unsecured
Internet sites, or from sensitive documents at work. Keep your
eyes open when making purchases and make sure your card number
doesn’t appear to be stored in any unorthodox way. Help
protect yourself on the Internet by setting your browser to
alert you when entering unsecured pages. Finally, simply
verify that records at work are kept in a secure location, and
are accessible only to employees who have a legitimate reason
to access them. With a few simple steps, you can greatly
increase your credit protection efforts. In this case, an
ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of
cure.
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Identity Theft Quiz |
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Q: Am I more at risk for
identity theft if I manage my finances via mail or
online?
A: Unsecured mailboxes
leave your personal information vulnerable. Companies
often offer online account management to reduce the risk
of identity theft.
Learn how
your credit protection efforts measure up with our quick
and easy quiz.
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Featured
Product |
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Equifax Credit Watch™ Gold with 3-in-1
Monitoring*
It never
hurts to take extra precautions when safeguarding your
credit against identity thieves. With Equifax Credit
Watch Gold with 3-in-1 Monitoring, you get the
following:
Complete Credit Monitoring with
alerts within 24 hours of key changes to your Equifax,
Experian, and TransUnion credit files
ONE
FREE 3-in-1 Credit Report and unlimited access
to your Equifax Credit Report™
Up to
$20,000 in Identity Fraud Expense Coverage with
no deductible at no additional charge† Knowledgeable
Customer Care, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
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Customer Know-How
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Customizing Your Alerts:
In order to aid our
Credit Watch monitoring subscription customers, Equifax has
customizable alerts to notify our subscribers about key
changes to their credit files within 24 hours after they
happen! In this way, if you receive an alert that seems
suspicious, you can take action so that the matter can be
quickly resolved — putting you back in control of your
credit.
To access and
change these preferences, simply click on “My Alert
Preferences” in the navigation available in the Member Center.
From here, you can see what sort of changes to your credit
file would result in an alert. You can also set up your alerts
to notify you if your charge card balance increases by a
certain dollar amount or percentage. Additionally, you can
choose to be notified if a dormant card receives use within a
certain number of months. You may also set your preferences to
receive wireless alerts whenever key changes occur. With
Equifax’s Credit Watch monitoring products, you’ll stay one
step ahead of identity theft.
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Equifax is pleased to provide this newsletter for your
convenience. However, this newsletter is provided for
informational purposes only and does not constitute
professional or legal advice for any kind of
description.
†
Certain limitations and exclusions apply. Identity Fraud
Expense Reimbursement Master Policy underwritten by Travelers
Casualty and Surety Company of America and its property
casualty affiliates, Hartford, CT 06183. Coverage for all
claims or losses depends on actual policy provisions.
Availability of coverage can depend on our underwriting
qualifications and state regulations. Coverage not available
for residents of New York.
*
Equifax's credit monitoring products are protected by US
Patent 7,028,052.
If you
have any questions, please call us at 1-800-829-3616, 8:00AM -
3:00AM (EST), 7 days a week.
You may e-mail us anytime at
customer.care@equifax.com.
Or you can write us: Equifax Consumer Services, LLC. PO Box
105496, Atlanta, GA 30348.
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Policy | Terms
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