Woodside

SPEAKING OF SECURITY:PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST IDENTITY THEFT

Apr 25, 2004

Identity theft is a crime getting more attention every day because it affects so many of us. You should know that the key to stealing an identity is to get a matching name and Social Security Account Number (SSN). With that information and a readily-available forged identification document, an ID thief can open bank accounts, take out bank loans, get cable TV or a cell phone plan, or get credit cards in your name, then ruin you financially. Unsettling, isn?’t it!The first step in protecting yourself is to keep your SSN safe. You should not carry your Social Security card in your wallet purse or billfold ?– keep it locked up at home, safe but available when it?’s needed (seldom).You should be very alert when you are asked for your SSN. A bank or credit card company, an employer, the IRS and the Social Security Administration have legitimate uses for it, and they take steps to secure the information. Not so with the community college, the blood bank, a security guard or many others who routinely request this data. It should be used to get a credit history report, to withhold or pay taxes, or to determine or pay retirement benefits. It should not be used as your health insurance account number, your patient number at the clinic, your member number for the bridge club or your ticket number for a door prize.More on this topic at a later date?…