What is Identity Theft?
Identity theft involves acquiring key pieces of someone's personally identifying information (PII), such as name, address, birth date, Social Security number, or mother's maiden name, in order to impersonate them. The stolen PII enables the thief to commit numerous forms of fraud which may include:
- Taking over the victim's financial accounts
- Opening new bank accounts in the victim's name
- Purchasing automobiles
- Applying for loans, credit cards, and Social Security benefits
- Renting apartments
- Establishing utility or phone services
- Tax-related ID theft such as submitting income tax documents to obtain refunds
See related information on Mail Theft, Credit Card Fraud and Mail Fraud.
How Do I Protect Myself From Identity Theft?
There are several precautions you can take to protect yourself from identity theft:
- Retrieve mail as soon after delivery as possible, or have a friend do it.
- Sign up for Informed Delivery®, a free feature allowing you to digitally preview your incoming mail and manage your arriving packages.
- Sign up for a PO Box™. PO Box services offer security and privacy, and many Post Office™ locations offer extended or 24/7 PO Box access.
- Install a locking mailbox. Many retailers offer such boxes for purchase.
- Place your outgoing mail in one of the Postal Service’s convenient collection boxes, use the mail service at your place of business, or visit your local Post Office™ location if security is a concern in your neighborhood.
- Be certain to place your mail on hold with your local Post Office location if you are going to be away on vacation or business.
- Call the sender of a valuable item to determine when the package should be expected.
- Familiarize yourself with your financial institutions’ policy on changes of address submitted by phone or mail. Make sure they will call customers before making a change, or honoring any large withdrawal, not received in person.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service website offers additional identity theft prevention tips, along with an informative brochure titled Publication 280 - Identity Theft, Safeguard your personal information.
The publication includes information that can help you in protecting your good name, including:
- Tips on protecting yourself from identity theft.
- Steps to take if you believe someone has stolen your identity.
- Phone numbers and website addresses for the three major credit reporting agencies.
- Links to web sites with more information on ID theft.
- Phone numbers to call to get publications dealing with identity theft from other organizations.
- Addresses to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service divisions.
You can get additional information at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Identity Theft website.
See related information on Mail Theft, Credit Card Fraud and Mail Fraud.
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Steps to Take if you think you are a Victim of Identity Theft
- If the crime involved the U.S. Mail
- Submit the Identity Theft Complaint Form online to lodge a complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
- Ask 1 of the 3 credit reporting companies to put a fraud alert on your credit report. They must tell the other 2 companies – make sure to confirm that this will be done. A fraud alert is free, but you must provide proof of your identity.
- Order copies of your credit report from the credit bureaus to check whether any fraudulent accounts were opened without your knowledge or consent. Check your monthly financial statements for accuracy.
- Contact your banks and creditors, by phone and in writing, and report the crime. You may be advised to close some or all of your accounts. At the least, alter your PIN numbers and passwords immediately.
- Record the names and phone numbers of people with whom you discussed your case and retain all original reports and supporting documents. Keeping accurate and complete records are a big step toward helping you resolve your problem.
- Contact your financial institutions and request they flag your accounts. Instruct them to contact you immediately if there is unusual activity on your accounts.
- If the crime did NOT involve the US Mail
- Visit the Federal Trade Commission's identity theft website at Identitytheft.gov or their main website at ftc.gov for additional information on reporting and recovering from identity theft.
- File your concern online with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by email at consumerline@ftc.gov, or call their Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338). The FTC has counselors to assist identity theft victims with resolving financial and other problems that can result from this crime.
See related information on"Mail Theft", Credit Card Fraud, and Mail Fraud.
Change of Address and Identity Theft
Each year, the Postal Service™ processes millions of address changes. The U.S. Postal Service has adopted procedures that are designed to prevent false changes of address from being filed. By using confirmation letters and other methods of identity verification, the U.S. Postal Service® takes steps to help ensure that consumers and businesses are safe from would-be thieves.
However, identity thieves often prefer to change an address directly with a vendor, bank, or other financial institution, rather than risk being detected by the Postal Service’s verification process. Contact your financial institution to learn more about the security procedures they’ve adopted to protect your personal information.
See related information on Mail Theft, Credit Card Fraud, and Mail Fraud.
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