Florida Consumer Alert: Identity Theft
By mattohern // June 19, 2015
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The Florida Office of Financial Regulation issued the following warning on identity theft.
Common ways identity theft can happen is through skimming, phishing, dumpster diving and personal stolen items. Floridians are urged to take steps to protect themselves against identity theft, especially because it increases the risk of becoming a victim of fraud and scams.
Tips to minimize the risk of identity theft:
- When you receive emails from your financial institution informing you of an account problem, call using the phone number on the back of your card or bank statement.
- Call government agencies that send you emails to verify their authenticity.
- Never give personal information to solicitors on the phone.
- Don’t click on links in emails asking you to verify or provide account information.
- Independently verify anything asking for your personal identifying information.
- Shred any documents with identifying information.
- Check your credit report regularly for inaccuracies.
Remember the “Three C’s” if you are a victim of identity theft:
- Check: Look through all your financial, professional and personal accounts to see if anything is out of the ordinary and change your passwords. It is also imperative to contact your banks to alert them, cancel your cards and have them replaced.
- Contact: File a report with the Federal Trade Commission, the Internet Crime Complaint Center and local law enforcement.
- Collect: Collect any and all evidence you may have to support your claim. This could be cancelled checks, credit card receipts, unusual social media or email messages, etc.
