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Identity theft is a crime that affects consumers at home, at work, in the shopping mall or online. Vigilant consumers who exercise common sense, monitor their account status and protect their personal information are the best equipped to safeguard their identity.
Safety Tips
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Safety Tips |
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1. Monitor your accounts.
With a close eye on your account, you can spot suspicious activity and take steps to notify officials. The accounts that you hold with your bank, phone company, and e.commerce providers should be monitored regularly. You should also order a credit report every year to ensure that it is accurate.
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2. Verify emails that ask for personal information in My Messages.
Any email from eBay about your account or requesting personal information will be copied to My Messages. So, if you get an email about your account or requesting personal information, check to see if it is in My Messages. If it's not in My Messages, you know it is fake and you should immediately forward it to spoof@ebay.com.
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3. Use strong and unique passwords.
Good passwords have two things in common. First, they include a combination of letters and numbers. This helps prevent someone from guessing your password and prevents an intruding computer from randomly going through words in the dictionary until it finds the right match.
Second, a strong password will be unique to the account. Just as you wouldn't use the same key for your car, your office and your house, unique passwords are an important preventative step in the event someone gets hold of one of your passwords.
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4. What You Should Do if You've Become an Identity Theft Victim |
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Restoring your accounts and credit reports if you become a victim of identity theft can be an extremely frustrating and time-consuming experience. If you think you are a victim of identity theft you should contact a number of organizations that have an impact on credit ratings and security. The Federal Trade Commission offers an Affidavit of Identity Theft that can be notarized and then sent to creditors and agencies.
Credit bureaus
Early contact should
be made with the three credit reporting bureaus
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| Equifax |
Experian |
TransUnion |
www.equifax.com
Report Fraud:
1-800-525-6285
Order a credit report
1-800-685-1111
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
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experian.ebay.com
Report Fraud:
1-888-397-3742
Order a credit report
1-88-397-3742
P.O. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013-0949
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www.tuc.com
Report Fraud:
1-800-680-7289
Order a Credit Report
1-800-916-8800
Fraud Victim Assistance Department
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA
92834 |
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Bank and other accounts
If you
believe that one of your accounts has been stolen, you
should check with the companies that host your other
online accounts to verify that all of your accounts are
secure.
Consumer Credit Counseling Service
If fraudulent charges are discovered on any of your accounts, you should call your local Consumer Credit Counseling Service at 800-388-2227 (or locate a regional bureau at www.nfcc.org) for assistance in
clearing false claims from your credit report.
Check guarantee companies
In cases where bank accounts have been opened fraudulently in your name, you should call a check guarantee company like Telecheck at 800-366-2425 or online at www.telecheck.com. These
companies can flag your file so that the counterfeit
checks will be refused.
Other Important Agencies
The Department of Motor Vehicles
The Social Security Administration: www.ssa.gov
The FBI: www.fbi.gov
The Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov
U.S. Postal Service (ID Theft involving mail): www.usps.com
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5. Obtain a PayPal Security Key to add an extra layer of protection.
eBay and PayPal offer you two-factor authentication to make your password even safer and stronger. The sturdy and portable PayPal Security Key is a small lightweight device that fits on your keychain.
The PayPal Security Key generates a unique six-digit code that you add to your eBay User ID and password when you sign in. Because only you "hold the key", your account is even safer from unauthorized entry and identity theft. To learn more and order, visit http://www.ebay.com/securitykey
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