Identity Theft

I wanted to reach out to you to make sure you take the steps to protect yourself from identity theft.

Note that I take extra precautions on the information that I collect and I do not give out any personal identifiable information. All printed documents I collect/maintain are securely stored or shredded if unneeded. Electronically stored information requires multiple sign-ins to access (computer sign-in, and 2-step software program sign-in). This information I maintain is also not stored in the cloud.

That said, everyone should take steps to protect themselves from identity theft. These tips to prevent identity theft are courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission:

· Check your credit report with all three national credit-monitoring agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) at no charge by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com. Another free service, www.creditkarma.com, will provide you with a credit report and credit score. If you discover a problem, visit www.identitytheft.gov to take the next step. [NOTE: There are some credit report sites that say they are free, and then require you to pay monthly after the initial report. The ones listed here are truly free. You are entitled to a free credit report once per year from each of the three credit reporting agencies.]

· For extra protection, consider enrolling in a credit-monitoring service. There are several of these available, including LifeLock and MyIDCare. There are fees associated with these services. (They are not services provided by me.)

· Consider placing a credit freeze on your credit. A freeze makes it harder for someone to open an account in your name. However, it will not prevent a thief from making changes to your existing accounts.

· Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit. The alert warns creditors that you may be an identity theft victim and that they should verify that anyone seeking credit in your name is actually you. Learn more about fraud alerts at www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs

· Monitor your credit card statements closely for charges you do not recognize, and check your bank account/investment statements for anything suspicious. [Pay attention even to small dollar amounts that are unfamiliar to you!]

· Be aware of tax fraud, which occurs when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund. File your taxes as early as possible, before a scammer can. [I have seen this happen before, either the taxpayer, spouse, or dependent’s ss# has already been used, preventing the taxpayer from being able to e-file their return.]

Additionally, be sure to keep your private information private:

· Mail bills using a post office drop box. (Your flag on your mailbox is crying out, “Look here, I am paying a bill! Come see my bank routing number and account number from my check along with the billing information from my credit card company, insurance company, etc.”)

· Shred Shred Shred. Shred any documents with personal information on them that you do not need to store. Shred unwanted pre-approved credit card offers as well. Do not just throw away this information into the trash or recycle bin!

· Any documents that you want/need to keep, be sure that they are store in a safe location.

· Though it can be a pain, have a good password to any program or website that has your personal information. A good password is one with a mix of letters, numbers, and characters and contains both upper and lower cases.

If you have any questions about this information, please let me know. I hope that this was a value to you. I look forward to hearing from you in a few months for tax prep.