Kroll Fraud Solutions Blog – A Dialogue on Data Security

Imagine, you purchase a new house, or rent a new apartment, and are excited about your new home. But how would you feel if, when you contact the utility companies to connect new service at your place, you find out that the gas company will not provide service because there is an account, unfamiliar to you, for which you are being held liable. Or, you are applying for a home improvement loan, and are denied because there is a utility collection account associated with you that has been reported to the credit bureaus. Not only can an outstanding debt with a utility company prevent you from obtaining services through them, or other utilities, it can prevent you from obtaining other types of credit too.

Tip #5 Beware of scams. Scammers try to obtain sensitive personal information (SPI) from consumers in a variety of ways. Practice caution regarding any communication that appears to be from a legitimate business and requests personal information.

Often the scammer tries to get you to react to their communication without thinking –they heighten your sense of urgency by claiming you have something to lose (or even gain) if you don’t reply to an email, visit a website, or call a number by voice or text message to supply information such as bank or credit card account numbers, Social Security number, date of birth, etc.

Tip #4 Think before you share. Whether on your social networking page, in casual conversations, or when completing a retailer’s customer information form, be careful about the type of information you share. Many people give away too much without even realizing what they’ve done. Know that just because a space for a particular piece of information (i.e. date of birth or Social Security number) exists on a social networking profile or a retailer’s preferred customer account, for example, you do not have to fill in that space with such personal information. Be stingy with the key components to your identity and don’t be afraid to ask why the requestor needs it.

Tip #3 Know what to look for when checking your credit report. Consumers are frequently reminded to check their credit reports for “suspicious activity,” but what exactly does this mean? And what’s the best way to go about obtaining your credit report?

You can obtain a report from the Annual Credit Report Request Service, which was established pursuant to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA). You can obtain a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the credit reporting agencies (CRAs). This can be done online at www.annualcreditreport.com. Kroll suggests obtaining the reports one at a time at regular but staggered intervals to provide snapshots of your current credit history throughout the year.  Everyone should review their credit reports, even if they have not applied for credit recently – just because you are not using your identity to obtain credit doesn’t mean someone else isn’t.

Tip #2 Be a good example. Practicing good identity protection habits may affect the habits of those around you in a positive way. When you routinely keep your identification documents secure, check your existing accounts for accuracy, make wise choices while using the internet, and employ personal computer security measures, you are leading by example and may empower your family members, friends, and co-workers to do the same.