City of Wood Dale, Illinois

IDENTITY THEFT

The Wood Dale Police Department takes identity theft seriously. Below is some information about identity theft. The police department will provide any resident with an identity theft victim kit. For your kit or more information regarding identity theft, please contact Detective Ron LaMorte at (630) 787-3831.

Despite your best efforts to manage the flow of your personal information or to keep it to yourself, skilled identity thieves may use a variety of methods – low- and hi-tech – to gain access to your data.

An identity thief co-opts some piece of your personal information and appropriates it without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft. An all-too-common example is when an identity thief uses your personal information to open a credit card account in your name.

Can you completely prevent identity theft from occurring? Probably not, especially if someone is determined to commit the crime. But you can minimize your risk by managing your personal information wisely, cautiously and with heightened sensitivity.

If you’ve been a victim of identity theft, you can call the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline toll-free at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338). The FTC puts your information into a secure consumer fraud database and may, in appropriate instances, share it with other law enforcement agencies and private entities, including any companies about which you may complain.

CREDIT REPORTS
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) establishes procedures for correcting mistakes on your credit record and requires that your record be made available only for certain legitimate business needs.

CREDIT BUREAUS

Equifax – www.equifax.com

To order your report, call: 1-800-685-1111 or write:
P.O. Box 740241,
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241.

To report fraud, call: 1-800-525-6285 and write:
P.O. Box 740241,
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian – www.experian.com

To order your request, call: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) or write:
P.O. Box 949,
Allen, TX 75013-0949

To report fraud, call: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) and write:
P.O. Box 949,
Allen, TX 75013-0949

Trans Union – www.tuc.com

To order your report, call: 800-916-8800 or write:
P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022.

To report fraud, call: 1-800-680-7289 and write:
Fraud Victim Assistance Division,
P.O. Box 6790,
Fullerton, CA 92634

OTHER RESOURCES

U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) – www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect
The USPIS is one of the federal law enforcement agencies that investigates cases of identity theft. USPIS is the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Services. USPIS has primary jurisdiction in all matters infringing on the integrity of the U.S. mail. You can locate the USPIS district office nearest you by calling your local post office or checking the list at the web site above.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – www.fbi.gov
The FBI is one of the federal criminal law enforcement agencies that investigates cases of identity theft. Local field offices are listed in the Blue Pages of your telephone directory.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – www.treas.gov/irs/ci
The IRS is responsible for administering and enforcing the internal revenue laws. If you believe someone has assumed your identity to file federal Income Tax Returns, or to commit other tax fraud, call toll-free: 1-800-829-0433. For assistance to victims of identity theft schemes who are having trouble filing their correct returns, call IRS Taxpayer Advocates Office, toll-free: 1-877-777-4778.

Social Security Administration (SSA) – www.ssa.gov
SSA may assign you a new SSN – at your request – if you continue to experience problems even after trying to resolve the problems resulting from identity theft. SSA field office employees work closely with victims of identity theft and third parties to collect the evidence needed to assign a new SSN in these cases.

SSA Office of the Inspector General (SSA/OIG) – The SSA/OIG is one of the federal law enforcement agencies that investigates cases of identity theft.

Direct allegations that an SSN has been stolen or misused to the SSA Fraud Hotline.
Call: 1-800-269-0271;
fax: 1-410-597-0118;

write: SSA Fraud Hotline,
P.O. Box 17768,
Baltimore, MD 21235;

or e-mail: oig.hotline@ssa.gov.

SSA publications:
SSA Fraud Hotline for Reporting Fraud – www.ssa.gov/oig/guidelin.htm
Social Security – When Someone Misuses Your Number (SSA Pub. No. 05-10064) www.ssa.gov/pubs/10002.html

U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect
The USPIS is one of the federal law enforcement agencies that investigates cases of identity theft. USPIS is the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Services. USPIS has primary jurisdiction in all matters infringing on the integrity of the U.S. mail. You can locate the USPIS district office nearest you by calling your local post office or checking the list at the web site above.

Direct Marketers
The Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) Mail, E-mail and Telephone Preference Services allow consumers to opt out of direct mail marking, e-mail marketing and/or telemarketing solicitations from many national companies. Because your name will not be on their lists, it also means that these companies can’t rent or sell your name to other companies.

To remove your name from many national direct mail lists, write:

DMA Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008

To remove your e-mail address from many national direct e-mail lists,
visit www.e-mps.org

To avoid unwanted phone calls from many national marketers,
send your name, address, and telephone number to:

DMA Telephone Preference Service
P.O. Box 9014
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9014

For more information,
visit www.the-dma.org

Sources:

Federal Trade Commission
U.S. Postal Inspection Service