JURY DUTY SCAM
Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call.
Most of us take those summons for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of scam has surfaced. Fall for it and your identity could be stolen, reports CBS.
In this con, someone calls pretending to be a court official who threateningly says a warrant has been issued for your arrest because you didn't show up for jury duty. The caller claims to be a jury coordinator.
If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Sometimes they even ask for credit card numbers. Give out any of this information and bingo! Your identity just got stolen.
The scam has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma, Illinois, Colorado, Texas and California.
This (scam) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they're with the court system.
The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.
Check it out here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp
IDENTITY THEFT
Identity theft involves acquiring key pieces of someone's identifying information, such as name, address, date of birth, social security number, and mother's maiden name, in order to impersonate them. This information enables the identity thief to commit numerous forms of fraud which include:
- Taking over a victim's financial accounts
- Opening new bank accounts
- Purchasing automobiles
- Applying for loans, credit cards, and social security benefits
- Renting apartments
- Establishing services with utility and phone companies.
The information contained in this handout provides preventative actions that you can take to help reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of identity theft. The document also provides names and phone numbers of agencies to contact.
The four major credit bureaus in the US. will be allowed, starting July 1, to release your credit info, mailing addresses, phone numbers..... to anyone who requests it. If you would like to 'opt out' of this release of info, you can call 1-888-567-8688. It only takes a couple of minutes to do, and you can take care of anyone else in the household while making only one call, you'll just need to know their social security number. Be sure to listen closely, the first opt out is only for two years, make sure you wait until they prompt you to press '3' on your keypad to opt out for good.
Consumer's Right to Opt-Out:
Consumers may opt-out of pre-approved offers of credit or insurance by calling one toll-free number: 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).
PREVENTATIVE ACTIONS
- Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery.
- Deposit outgoing mail in Post Office boxes or at the local Post Office.
- NEVER give personal information over the telephone, such as social security number, date of birth, mother's maiden name, credit card number, or bank PIN code, unless you initiated the call. Protect this information and release it only when absolutely necessary.
- When discarding, shred pre-approved credit applications, credit card receipts, bills, and other financial information.
- Empty your wallet or purse of extra credit cards or Ids – cancel cards that you do not use and maintain a list (not in your purse or wallet) of the ones that you do use.
- Order your credit card report from three credit bureaus once a year to check on fraudulent activities or other discrepancies.
- Never leave receipts at bank machines, bank counters, or trash receptacles.
- Keep track of all your paperwork and, when no longer needed, destroy it.
- Memorize your social security number and all of your passwords. Do not record them on any cards or on anything in your wallet or purse.
- Sign all new credit cards upon receipt.
- Save all credit card receipts and match them to your monthly bills.
- Be conscious of normal receipt of routine financial statements. Contact the sender if they are not received in the mail.
- Notify your credit card companies and financial institutions in advance on any change of address or phone number.
- NEVER loan your credit card to someone else.
- Never put your credit card number or any other financial account number on the outside of an envelope or on a postcard.
- If you applied for a new credit card and it hasn't arrived in a timely manner, call the bank or credit card company involved.
- Report all lost or stolen credit cards immediately.
- Closely monitor expiration dates on your credit cards. Contact the credit card issuer if replacement cards are not received prior to the expiration dates.
- Cut-up old credit cards before discarding.
- Beware of mail or telephone solicitations disguised as promotions offering instant prizes or awards designed solely to obtain your personal information or credit card numbers.
- On the Internet,l do not disclose any personal data unless you receive a secured authentication key from the provider.
ACTION STEPS FOR IDENTITY THEFT VICTIMS
- Contact ALL creditors by phone AND in writing to inform them of the problem.
- Call the nearest US Postal Inspection Service office.
- Call your local police.
- Contact the Federal Trade Commission to report the problem.
- Call each of the three credit bureaus' fraud units to report the identity theft. Ask to have a “Fraud Alert / Victim Impact” statement placed in your file asking that all creditors call you before opening any accounts.
- Alert your banks to flag your accounts and contact you to confirm any activity. Request a change of PIN and new password.
- Keep a log of all your contacts and make copies of all documents.
- Contact the Social Security Administration's Fraud Hotline.
- Contact the state office of Motor Vehicles to see if another license was issued in your name. If so, request a new license number and fill out the DMV's complaint form to begin the fraud investigation process.
CONTACTS FOR OBTAINING YOUR CREDIT REPORT
Equifax, PO Box 105873, Atlanta, GA 30348-5873 1-800-685-1111
Experian Information Solution, PO Box 949, Allen, TX 75013-0949 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion, PO Box 390, Springfield, PA 19064-0390 1-800-916-8800
CONTACTS FOR REPORTING IDENTITY THEFT
Equifax Credit Bureau, Fraud 1-800-525-6285
Experian Information Solutions 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion Credit Bureau, Fraud 1-800-680-7289
Federal Trade Commission 1-877-IDTHEFT
Social Security Administration Fraud Hotline 1-800-269-0271
U.S. Postal Service (see telephone book local listings)
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