Iowa Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
Hoover State Office Building
1305 East Walnut Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.org
Consumer@AG.State.IA.US
515-281-5926
888-777-4590

A Message from Attorney General Tom Miller

Dear fellow Iowans:

The goal of this brochure is to help you avoid becoming a victim of "identity theft." Identity theft occurs when someone obtains important personal information, such as your Social Security number, banking or credit card account numbers, to commit fraud or theft.

Today's credit identity thieves are information seekers and they don't need to steal your wallet. They obtain bits of information by sorting through trash for discarded receipts and statements, spying for your PIN number at ATM machines or telephone booths, accessing public records, and even stealing from your mailbox.

The Consumer Protection Division of my office developed this brochure to suggest steps you can take to reduce your risk of disclosing important personal information and of becoming a victim of identity theft.

I encourage you to contact my office if we can provide any more information. Please log on to our website at www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.org for valuable information on identity theft as well as other consumer issues or write to the Consumer Protection Division, Hoover State Office Building, 1305 East Walnut Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319, or call 515-281-5926 or 888-777-4590.

With best wishes,

Tom Miller
Attorney General of Iowa

IDENTITY THEFT... DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU!

Identity theft crimes are on the rise causing nationwide concern. Your personal identifying information can be accessed in a variety of ways. An imposter can misuse your information to open fraudulent credit card accounts, secure deposits on cars and housing, obtain employment opportunities, create insurance benefits, and rob retirement earnings. This form of financial sabotage can devastate your credit and require endless hours of telephone and written communication to resolve. In the meantime, you may experience difficulty writing checks, obtaining loans, renting apartments, and even getting hired. While following these precautionary steps is not a guarantee, it will greatly reduce your chances of becoming the next identity theft victim.

Reducing access to your personal identifying information:

1. To minimize the amount of information a thief can steal, do not carry extra credit cards, your Social Security card, birth certificate, or passport in your wallet or purse, except when needed.

2. To reduce the amount of personal information that is "out there," consider the following:

• Remove your name from the marketing lists of the three credit reporting bureaus -- Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. This will limit the number of pre-approved credit offers that you receive in the mail. Financial institutions mail over 3 billion pre-approved credit offer a year! When in transit or tossed into the garbage, such solicitations are a likely target of identity thieves who use them to order credit cards in your name. To remove your name:
  
  Call toll-free 888-567-8688
  
  or write to:
  Name Removal Option
  P.O. Box 97328
  Jackson, MS 39288-7328
  
  
• ORDER YOUR FREE CREDIT REPORT
  Upon your request, a credit bureau is required to provide you with one free credit report during any 12-month period. The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up one central website, toll-free telephone number, and mailing address through which you can order your free annual report. To order:
  
  Go to: www.annualcreditreport.com; call: 877-322-8228 (toll-free);
  
  or mail a request 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 are only providing free annual credit reports through the centralized website, telephone number and mailing address listed above.
  
  You may order your reports from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies at the same time, or you can order from only one or two. The law allows you to order one free copy from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months. We recommend the three separate reports at different times of the year, such as one every four months.
  You want to review your credit report:
  
  1. Because the information it contains affects whether you can get a loan and how much you will have to pay in interest to borrow money.
  2. To make sure the information listed is accurate, complete, and up-to-date before you apply for a loan for a major purchase like a house or car, buy insurance, or apply for a job.
  3. To help guard against identity theft before it happens to YOU! Catch inaccurate or downright fraudulent information before it affects your ability to get credit, insurance, or even a job!
  
  Under federal law, you're also entitled to a free report if a company takes adverse action against you, such as denying your application for credit, insurance, or employment, and you ask for your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action. The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the consumer reporting company. You're also entitled to one free report a year if you're unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days; if you're on welfare; or if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, including identity theft. Otherwise, a consumer reporting company may charge you up to $9.50 for another copy of your report within a 12-month period. This fee is often waived. (15 United States Code section 1682j(c)(3)).To buy additional copies of your report, contact:
  
  

  Credit Bureau	Report Consumer Fraud	Request Credit Report	Website Access
  Equifax P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374-0241	800-525-6285	800-685-1111	www.equifax.com
  Experian P.O. Box 9530 Allen, TX 75013	888-397-3742	888-397-3742	www.experian.com
  Trans Union P.O. Box 6790 Fullerton, CA 92634-6790	800-680-7289	800-916-8800	www.transunion.com

  
  
• Put your telephone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Federal Communications Commission (FTC), and the states Attorney Generals are enforcing the National Do Not Call Registry to make it easier and more efficient for you to stop getting telemarketing calls you don't want. Placing your number on the registry will stop most, but not all, telemarketing calls. Registration is free.
  
  

  Register online: www.DoNotCall.gov	Register up to 3 telephone numbers and you will receive a confirmation by e-mail.
  Call toll-free 888-382-1222	You must call from the telephone number that you wish to register.

  
  
• Remove your name, home mailing address, home telephone number, and home e-mail address from many national lists by opting out of the Direct Marketing Association's marketing lists. The Direct Marketing Association is the largest national trade association serving the direct and interactive marketing field. This service is only available for individuals and "home" addresses (not businesses). You will be removed from the Direct Marketing Association member lists for five (5) years.
  
  

  To remove your name from national mailing and telephone lists free of charge, write:	Direct Marketing Association P.O. Box 282 Carmel, NY 10512-0282
  Or remove your name from national mailing, telephone, and e-mail lists for a $10 fee, on-line:	www.the-dma.org

  
  
• Consider removing your name and address from the telephone book, reverse directories, and city directories. By eliminating your name from these sources, you can reduce access to your personal information from places like the Internet (which mainly use public information resources as a database), telemarketers, and identity thieves.
  
  

  To block your address, call or write:	Qwest 925 High Street Des Moines, IA 50309 1-800-244-1111 www.qwest.com	No fee
  To remove your information from the phone book ("non-listed"), call or write:	Qwest 925 High Street Des Moines, IA 50309 1-800-244-1111 www.qwest.com	$2.50 monthly
  To remove your information from the phone book and directory assistance ("non-published"), call or write:	Qwest 925 High Street Des Moines, IA 50309 1-800-244-1111 www.qwest.com	$4.00 monthly
  To remove your information from the city directory, call or write:	R. L. Polk Company 37001 Industrial Road Livonia, MI 48150 1-800-275-7655	Free

  
  
• Under Iowa law individuals are "assigned" a random driver's license number rather than using their Social Security number. The Social Security number is the most frequently used record keeping number in the United States. The widespread use of Social Security numbers makes invasion of privacy and fraud easier to commit. Even though you are given an assigned number, Iowa law requires you to disclose your Social Security number to the Department of Transportation when applying for an Iowa driver's license. In addition to being your driver's license number, an assigned number can be utilized in a variety of ways, thus protecting your Social Security number from unnecessary public disclosure. Iowa law protects your personal identifying information on your driver's license from public disclosure. (Iowa Code section 321.11) However, personal information does not include your factual driving record (such as records of conviction or occurrences of accidents). To report driver's license fraud, contact:
  
  

  Iowa Department of Transportation Office of Driver Services Park Fair Mall 100 Euclid Avenue Des Moines, IA 50306-9204 Phone: 515-244-8725 Phone: 800-532-1121 (toll-free within Iowa) www.dot.state.ia.us

Identity Theft Part 2 . . .