Identity Theft Protection

What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes.

Are you at risk?

Take the quiz below to see if you are at risk for identity theft.

Identity Theft Quiz

Identity Theft Techniques

There are no limits to the number of methods that offenders may use to steal identities. The most common and costly identity theft crimes include those committed by:

• Misrepresentation
  

  The offender must be able to present him/herself as the intended victim (e.g., applying for a loan, cashing a tax refund check, or applying for employment).

• Forgery
  

  The offender must be able to forge or alter identification and payable documents (e.g., signing a check, safe deposit access card, or a power of attorney).

• Electronic Access
  

  The offender must be able to gain access to a computer that contains personal data or property (e.g., using a stolen ATM PIN, Internet account password, or initiating a wire transfer).

If Your Information Has Been Stolen and Used by an Identity Thief

If you are a victim of identity theft, take the following four steps as soon as possible, and keep a record with the details of your conversations and copies of all correspondence.

• Place a fraud alert on your credit reports and review your credit reports.
  Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com
  Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com
  TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com
  
  
• Close the accounts that you know, or believe, have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
• File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.

Steps to Recover from Identity Theft



Please follow the link below for more information.

• State of NJ Identity Theft Information