This week, the Office of the Attorney General\u2019s Consumer Caution Corner focuses on identity theft.<\/p>\n
What is identity theft?<\/strong> Why should I care if someone steals my identity?<\/strong> How can that happen?<\/strong> How can I protect my identity?<\/strong> At home: As you do business: On the computer: How will I know if someone steals my identity?<\/strong> Watch for: Look at medical statements. You might see charges you do not recognize. That might mean someone stole your identity.<\/p>\n Get your credit report. You get one free credit report every year from each credit reporting company. \u2022 Call Annual Credit Report at 1-877-322-8228. The company mails your report to you. It should arrive two to three weeks after you call.<\/p>\n Read your credit report carefully. Look for mistakes or accounts you do not recognize. This could mean someone stole your identity.<\/p>\n Each week, the OAG\u2019s Consumer Protection Education Program aims to provide consumers and businesses with the \u201cknow-how\u201d to identify and protect themselves from unfair trade practices and marketplace schemes. If you would like to file a consumer complaint, please pick up a form at the Office of the Attorney General on Capital Hill and then please submit it by email to consumer_counsel@cnmioag.org Please note: We cannot act as your private attorney. If you need legal assistance, we will recommend that you contact a private attorney or legal aid organization. We cannot give legal advice or act as your private attorney. (Michael J. Cyganek, Special to the Saipan Tribune)<\/strong><\/p>\n Michael J. Cyganek is the consumer counsel of the Office of the Attorney General.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This week, the Office of the Attorney General\u2019s Consumer Caution Corner focuses on identity theft….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[2626,14798,86,399],"class_list":["post-244268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-opinion","tag-attorney-general","tag-consumer-caution-corner","tag-oag","tag-social-security"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244268"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244268\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nIdentity theft is a serious crime. Identity theft happens when someone uses information about you without your permission.
\nThey could use your:
\n\u2022 name and address
\n\u2022 credit card or bank account numbers
\n\u2022 Social Security number
\n\u2022 medical insurance account numbers<\/p>\n
\nYou will be responsible for what the thief does while using your personal information. You might have to pay for what the thief buys. This is true even if you do not know about the bills.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 A thief might get a credit card using your name.
\n\u2022 He changes the address.
\n\u2022 The bills go to him, but he never pays them.
\n\u2022 That means the credit card company thinks you are not paying the bills.
\n\u2022 That will hurt your credit.
\nThis is the kind of trouble identity theft can cause for you.<\/p>\n
\nProtect your personal information. That helps you protect your identity. Here are some things you can do:<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 keep your financial records, Social Security and Medicare cards in a safe place
\n\u2022 shred papers that have your personal or medical information
\n\u2022 take mail out of your mailbox as soon as you can<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 only give your Social Security number if you must. Ask if you can use another kind of identification
\n\u2022 do not give your personal information to someone who calls you or emails you<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 use passwords that are not easy to guess. Use numbers and symbols when you can
\n\u2022 do not respond to emails or other messages that ask for personal information
\n\u2022 do not put personal information on a computer in a public place, like the library<\/p>\n
\nRead your bills and account statements.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 things you did not buy
\n\u2022 withdrawals you did not make
\n\u2022 a change of your address that you did not expect
\n\u2022 bills that stop coming<\/p>\n
\nTo order:<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Answer questions from a recorded system. You have to give your address, Social Security number, and birth date.
\n\u2022 Choose to only show the last four numbers of your Social Security number. It is safer than showing the full number on your report.
\n\u2022 Choose which credit reporting company you want a report from. (You get one report free from each company every year.)<\/p>\n