Text Box:

 

Text Box:

 

www.inurancemichigan.com

Identity Theft Protection

TIPS

Some Things to Do Tonight

 

  1. Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567- 8688) to choose not to receive prescreened credit card offers.  You can also go to their secure website at: https://www.optoutprescreen.com.  This takes care of all three major credit bureaus with one phone call or inputting.  Only takes about 5 minutes.

 

  1. Prepare letters to the three credit reporting companies listed below to opt out of using your information for promotional purposes.  This is different than the pre-approved credit offers.

Equifax, Inc.                                                          1-800-685-1111
Options
PO Box 740123
Atlanta, GA 30374-0123

Experian                                                                                1-888-397-3742
Consumer Opt-Out
701 Experian Parkway
Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion                                                          1-800-916-8800
Name Removal Option
P.O. Box 505
Woodlyn, PA 19094

A sample letter is attached

Some Things to Do in the Next Week

 

  1. Purchase a shredder

 

  1. Clean out your wallet/purse.  Make a copy of everything in it (credit cards, license, etc.).  Keep the copies in a safe, but easily accessible place.

 

  1. Continue to monitor and balance you accounts and statements.  According to the FTC, over fifty percent of identity-theft victims first detected the fraud by monitoring their own accounts. The sooner you detect the fraud, the better your chances of recovering your money and good name/credit.

 

  1. Consider adding an optional endorsement to your homeowners insurance policy.

 

Some Helpful Web Sites

 

  1. ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen To Your Good Name
    http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/idtheft.htm

 

  1. www.consumer.gov/idtheft

 

  1. FBI Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) :
    http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

 

  1. Michigan State University; School of Criminal Justice

http://www.cj.msu.edu/%7Eoutreach/identity/default.htm

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

Sample Opt-Out Letter (Send to three credit agencies listed )

This sample came from the web site of the Federal Trade Commission.  Just copy and paste to your Word Processing Program

Date

To whom it may concern:

I request to have my name removed from your marketing lists. Here is the information you have asked me to include in my request:

FIRST, MIDDLE & LAST NAME
(List all name variations, including Jr., Sr., etc.)

______________________________

CURRENT MAILING ADDRESS

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

PREVIOUS MAILING ADDRESS
(Fill in your previous mailing address if you have moved in the last 6 months.)

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

______________________________

DATE OF BIRTH

______________________________

Thank you for your prompt handling of my request.

______________________________
Signature