Page 44 - GIADA-Oct 2017-Final

SECURITY

Continued from page 40 freeze or credit freeze on your credit a safe place and be sure to shred them
charged for something that you expected report restricts access to your credit before getting rid of them.
to be free. This will also help to make sure file. Creditors typically won’t offer you 7. Change your passwords for all of
you don’t face unexpected fees, charges, or credit if they can’t access your credit your financial accounts and consider
other limitations. reporting file, so a freeze prevents you changing the passwords for your other
and others from opening new accounts accounts as well. Be sure to create
Credit monitoring and arbitration in your name. In almost all states, a strong passwords and do not use the
freeze lasts until you remove it. In same password for all accounts. Don’t
In the initial response to the data breach, some states, it expires after seven years. use information such as addresses and
people were concerned over an arbitration 3. Set up a fraud alert. Fraud alerts birthdays in your passwords. For more
clause to enroll in Equifax’s TrustedID require that a financial institution tips on how to create strong passwords
program for credit monitoring. Originally, verifies your identity before opening read more on the Federal Trade
this clause stated that claims and disputes a new account, issuing an additional Commission’s (FTC) blog .
against the company would be settled by card, or increasing the credit limit 8. File your taxes as soon as you can. A
arbitration, as opposed to in a court of law. on an existing account. A fraud alert scammer can use your Social Security
won’t prevent lenders from opening number to get a tax refund. You can try
In an update for consumers , Equifax new accounts in your name, but it will to prevent a scammer from using your
announced that it has removed the require that the lenders take additional tax information to file and steal your
arbitration clause language from its terms identification verification steps to tax refund by making sure you file
of use for the credit monitoring product, make sure that you’re making the before they do. Be sure not to ignore
called TrustedID Premier. With this request. An initial fraud alert only lasts any official letters from the IRS and
change, the company has stated that anyone for 90 days, so you may want to watch reply as soon as possible. The IRS will
who enrolls in the company’s free credit file for when to renew it. You can also set contact you by mail; don’t provide any
monitoring and identity theft protection up an extended alert for identity theft information or account numbers in
will not waive their right to pursue legal victims, which is good for seven years. response to calls or emails.
action or join a class-action lawsuit 4. Read your credit card and bank 9. Active duty servicemembers are
concerning the cybersecurity incident or statements carefully. Look closely for eligible for additional protections,
the TrustedID Premier product provided charges you did not make. Even a small and should also monitor their credit
in response to that incident, should you charge can be a danger sign. Thieves carefully. Learn more about what you
choose. sometimes will take a small amount can do if you’re currently serving at
from your checking account and then home or abroad.
Top 10 ways to protect your personal return to take much more if the small 10. If you are the parent or guardian of
information from being misused debit goes unnoticed. a minor and you think your child’s
5. Don’t ignore bills from people you information has been compromised,
1. Review your credit report. You are don’t know. A bill on an account you here are some steps from the FTC you
entitled to a free credit report every don’t recognize may be an indication can take to protect their information
12 months from each of the three that someone else has opened an from fraudulent use. If you think you
major consumer reporting companies account in your name. Contact the or your child’s identity has already
(Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). creditor to find out. been stolen you can follow checklists
You can request a copy from 6. Shred any documents with personal or and additional steps provided by the
AnnualCreditReport.com . sensitive information. Be sure to keep FTC to begin recovering from a case
2. Consider a security freeze. A security hard copies of financial information in of identity theft. n
42 | GIADA Independent Auto Dealer OCTOBER 2017