Bernanke’s personal bank account struck by identity theft
By Brett Zongker and Nafeesa Syeed, Associated Press Writers
WASHINGTON – No one is safe from identity theft, not even the chairman of the Federal Reserve.
Ben Bernanke’s personal checking account became entangled in an elaborate identity-theft scheme after his wife Anna’s purse was stolen last August at a Capitol Hill Starbucks. According to a District of Columbia police report, it contained her Social Security card, checkbook, credit cards and IDs.
The complete story..
Several steps can protect against identity theft
There is no real way to prevent someone from stealing your identity or swiping financial and personal information, unless you have no bank accounts, credit cards or Social Security number.
But consumers can take certain solid steps to protect themselves, to make identity theft less likely and to make their financial information less vulnerable.
– By Randi F. Marshall, Newsday
The Complete Story…
- Your Wallet – photo copy the contents
- Social Security card – secure it
- Your Mail – do not mail bills from your mail box
- Ordering Personal Checks – Pick them up at the bank
- Buy a shredder – shred everything that can identify you – mail, credit cards, old drivers licenses, older documents, etc
- Opting out of prescreened credit offers – 888-5OPTOUT
- Beware of Phone calls from people you do not know asking about personal information
- Your Computer must have an anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall
- Watch out for phishing e-mails – e-mails seeming like they we sent from a company, but really aren’t
- Password protect computers, blackberry and laptops
- Online banking and credit card Web sites – check them daily
- Order a free credit report once a year from annualcreditreport.com
- Debit cards versus Credit cards – do not use debit cards for purchases
- Use debit cards for only bank ATMs, not independent ones – check ATMs by gently sticking your finger in the slot. If the slot moves, it may have been tampered with.
- Online Shopping – look for the Locked Lock in your browser
- Use a single credit card for all online transactions
- Protect your identity everywhere – Ask why someone needs additional personal information
Be alert – there is always something else people will try.
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Identity Theft And Your Social Security Number
SSA Publication No. 05-10064, October 2007, ICN 463270
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. A dishonest person who has your Social Security number can use it to get other personal information about you. Identity thieves can use your number and your good credit to apply for more credit in your name. Then, they use the credit cards and do not pay the bills. You may not find out that someone is using your number until you are turned down for credit or you begin to get calls from unknown creditors demanding payment for items you never bought.
If someone has misused your Social Security number – You can contact the Federal Trade Commission by:
- Telephone 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338)
Monitor your account:
Free credit reports are available online at www.annualcreditreport.com
Click here for more information
