It’s election year again. That means hours of media coverage about the candidates and sociable debates among friends. It has also opened up the way for wily scammers to steal your identity.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is cautioning consumers about voter registration scams. These scams might sound familiar. In 2004, similar consumer fraud scams were carried out with some success.
The scam artists contact consumers via email or telephone. They claim to be from civic organizations or your local elections board. They might ask you to confirm your voter registration information. If you aren’t registered to vote, they might persuade you to give them personal information, such as your social security number and birth date, under the guise of registering you.
These people do not have your best interests at heart. They are not trying to be good citizens and help their community. They are looking to commit identity theft. They will take your personal information and use it for themselves.
Organizations that conduct legitimate voter registration drives will supply you with a voter registration forms that you fill out yourself, in private. They don’t ask for financial information and they never share your personal information. You can also obtain voter registration forms from public libraries, government offices, the DMV, and online. You can also contact your local election office, or check the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s National Voter Registration Form.
If you are approached by someone who is pretending to register you to vote, don’t give them any personal or financial information. If you have all ready supplied your information to someone suspicious, you may be a victim of identity theft. You can get more information about identity theft on the FTC’s Identity Theft Website.
A Security Freeze prevents someone from obtaining credit in your name, thereby preventing identity theft. There is no charge for a New York State resident to place a Security Freeze on their credit report if you are the victim of Identity Theft or you are making this request for the first time. For second or subsequent requests for a Security Freeze, you may be charged up to $5 for that service.
A Security Freeze is placed on your credit file, and prevents most lenders and others from gaining access to your credit report for review prior to granting a new line of credit. If there is a Security Freeze on your credit file, the lender won’t be able to get a copy of your credit history and, as a result, most lenders will refuse to open a new credit account.
But before you leap into freezing your credit reports, remember that it’s not for everyone. If you’ve got a security freeze in place you won’t be able to borrow money or get a new credit card until you temporarily lift or permanently remove it. The same is true of new insurance coverage and background checks that might be required by a new employer. So if you’re going to be looking for a new job, new insurance, or a loan (including a mortgage or car loan) in the near future, hold off on the security freeze for now.
But if you are going to place a security freeze on your account, you must do so in writing to each of the three major credit reporting agencies. Your letters must contain the personal information required by each credit reporting agency. This information is needed so the credit reporting agencies can verify your identify and process your request. You should send your letters by certified mail to ensure that you have proof of receipt.
The three credit reporting agencies must place a Security Freeze on your credit file within five business days of receiving your request. Within 10 days of placing the Security Freeze on your credit files, each credit bureau must mail you a letter confirming that a Security Freeze is now in place. These letters will also contain a password or a Personal Identification Number (”PIN”). When you want to temporarily lift or permanently remove your Security Freeze, you can use this password or PIN to identify yourself when contacting the credit reporting agencies. Each credit reporting agency will give you a different password or identification number.
After the first request to place a security freeze on your credit file, the credit reporting agencies may charge up to $5 fee to place, temporarily lift or to remove a Security Freeze. There is also a $5 fee for the issuance of a replacement PIN or password. If you are a victim of Identity Theft and provide a valid copy of a police report or a Federal Trade Commission ID Theft affidavit, alleging the crime of identity theft, there are no fees for any of these services.
Your requests for a security freeze may be sent to:
TransUnion Fraud Victim Assistance Department
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834
Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, Georgia 30348
Experian Security Freeze
P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013
