To prevent identity theft, the public needs to be proactive.

Those words come from Robin Kulek, extension educator- resource
management at Pennsylvania State Cooperative Extension in Elk
County.

“My favorite thing to say is – practice good personal financial
hygiene,” she said Friday.

“One of the things people need to do is to request their free
credit history reports at least once a year and review it for
accuracy,” she added.

She said it is up to the consumer to do the tracking and to
check for errors. One thing she added, however, is the fact that if
a problem is noticed on the report, the consumer must go to the
company that the item is said to be drawn from (not the credit
bureau issuing the report.)

“And by being a good recordkeeper, (a person) can document their
side better than just saying that (the charge) is erroneous,” said
Kulek.

Another tip provided by Kulek is for people to remove their
Social Security cards from their wallets.

“You rarely need to produce your Social Security card for
anything on a day-to-day basis,” she said, adding that the only
instances might be when a person is hired for a new job, or when
they are receiving public benefits.

“And photocopy everything else in your wallet. Keep a copy at
home. If you do lose your wallet while traveling, you know where to
go immediately – the front and back of every card,” she added. “And
reduce the number of cards you are carrying.”

Another point Kulek made with an exclamation point is to “shred
everything!” She said that includes anything with your name,
address or any type of identification.

“Dumpster diving can be profitable. Some people burn their
stuff,” she said. “And when mailing, most of your mail should go
directly to the post office or a postal box instead of the rural
delivery with your flag up. Reduce your exposure.”

She also warns that people should not let their cards out of
sight, a practice common in restaurants.

As for the new technology, Kulek said if anyone is buying
online, they should be sure to use a dedicated card for that
purpose only with a limited amount of funds available in case
someone does get a hold of that card information.

Kulek explained that by law, lost or stolen cards hold a maximum
of $50 worth of unauthorized purchases. She said by reducing the
number of cards one has, the potential liability is reduced as
well.

She suggests that if people want to make sure they are protected
they might want to purchase the insurance offered on some credit
cards, but said they are not always the best deal.

“They are getting more and more creative how they access
personal information,” said Kulek. “Portable phone conversations
can be picked up.”

Other unknowns according to Kulek, include the fact that some
auto insurance companies look at credit histories and may charge a
customer higher rates based on those reports, or a potential
employer may look at credit histories and make a judgment based on
credit history.

“They might be checking to see how responsible you are and you
may not know you are a victim yet – you could lose a job
opportunity,” warned Kulek. “And some landlords also check your
credit history.”

Being aware of your credit history she said is the best way to
prevent those types of experiences.

She added that it is not always necessary to cancel all cards
once they are lost or missing. Kulek said calling the credit card
companies to put a hold on the cards will alert them to watch for
charges while the person missing the cards makes sure they can’t be
found.

She offered three Web sites to go to for a free credit report,
including TransUnion, Annual Credit Report, and Equifax Experian.
She recommends getting a new credit report each year from a
different agency.

In closing, Kulek said that if someone finds themselves in an
identity theft situation, they should call their local police
departments even if they are not sure of the location of the theft
of the card or cards. But she said that the victim should do all of
the work to track down the unauthorized charges and to watch for
problems.

“The bottom line? The public needs to be proactive,” she
said.