Avoiding Identity Theft: Tips for Psychologists
by Communications Staff
August 2, 2005 -- Last fall, APA President Ronald F. Levant, EdD, MBA, ABPP, received a startling phone call from his bank. “They asked me if I had changed my address,” says Levant. “When I said no, they said I might be a victim of identity theft.”
Levant was advised to go to his nearest bank branch, where he found out that someone had stolen his identity, changed the address on his account, and opened two debit accounts. “Using bank-by-phone, they debited money from my account and put half of it into each debit account,” Levant explains.
In becoming the victim of identity theft, Levant joined an estimated 44 million Americans who have experienced this crime, according to statistics released recently by the public policy think tank Privacy and American Business. Identity theft is now the most frequently-reported fraud, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and reports of the crime are growing.
This article outlines steps psychologists can take to minimize their risk of becoming a victim of identity theft, as well as steps practitioners should take if they find themselves the victim of this crime.
What is identity theft?
Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person’s personal information, such as their name, social security number, credit card number or other identifying information, without their permission to commit fraud or other crimes. Perpetrators of this crime may use someone’s name to open or withdraw funds from a bank account, as in Levant’s case, or to take out a loan or establish credit card or cell phone service.
Criminals gain access to personal information in a number of ways, from stealing checks from a mailbox to looking through the trash for credit card offers. The rise of the Internet has facilitated the growth of identity theft. Internet-based crimes range from downloading consumer data from vendor websites that have not properly protected the data with encryption and firewalls, to “phishing,” or posing as a legitimate financial institution or e-commerce site and asking consumers to reveal their account numbers, user names, passwords, or some other type of personal information.
Resolving identify theft can take months or even years. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, the average consumer spends up to 600 hours clearing his or her name and credit record following an identity theft crime.
How can I protect myself?
As professionals who provide services to the public and use the Internet to conduct a wide range of business and personal activities, psychologists are increasingly vulnerable to identity theft. While experts agree that completely preventing identity theft from occurring is nearly impossible, there are steps practitioners can take to minimize their exposure, including:
-- Password-protect your credit card, bank and phone accounts using unique passwords that you change periodically. Levant now double password-protects his retirement and other savings accounts, following advice from his bank.
-- Before you give out personally identifying information, ask how it will be used and whether it will be kept confidential. Never respond to unsolicited emails or phone calls requesting personal financial information or your social security number -- even if the person requesting the information claims to be from your bank.
-- Periodically review your accounts. Levant checks his accounts about once a week for suspicious activity that may indicate that fraudulent activity has taken place.
-- Avoid giving out your social security number. When possible, ask if you may provide an alternate identifier.
-- Access the Internet from a secure computer. Levant uses a firewall, virus protection and other controls on his computer to help block unauthorized users from accessing the computer.
-- If you are missing a bill, contact your creditor. This may indicate that a criminal has changed your billing address or other information related to your account.
-- Shred documents containing personally identifiable information. Levant is especially careful to shred items containing his social security number or bank information.
-- Protect your mail from theft by promptly collecting it from your mailbox and dropping off your outgoing mail in a secure post office box
-- Don’t carry extra credit cards with you that you don’t use; this will only increase your vulnerability in the event your wallet is stolen.
-- Order and review your credit report from the three major credit bureaus -- Equifax, Experian and Trans Union -- every year.
What if I am a victim of identity theft?
If you think you have been the victim of identity theft, the FTC recommends you take the following steps:
-- Ask one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file (the credit bureau will notify the other two bureaus to do the same). Once your account is flagged, the credit bureau should contact you before opening a new account or altering an existing account.
-- Close all accounts that have been opened or accessed fraudulently.
-- File a police report, and share a copy of the report with creditors and others as proof of the crime.
-- File a complaint with the FTC. Law enforcement uses the FTC’s identity theft database in investigating and building cases against perpetrators of this crime.
In response to the crime of identity theft, a growing number of businesses and organizations are offering identity theft coverage to their employees and members, according to the Associated Press. These services are designed to save individuals time, money and aggravation in the event they become a victim of identity theft.
The APA Practice Organization has arranged a discounted price for practitioners and their family members who purchase a service called ID Theft Assist through APApractice.org. This service helps subscribers who are victims of identity theft untangle the red tape required to recover from this crime by providing comprehensive financial and credit support, legal support, and education on how to avoid further occurrences of identity theft.
For more information about identify theft, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website at www.ftc.gov.
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