Identity Theft
Criminals use personal information such as social security or bank account numbers to open credit card accounts, access bank accounts, take out loans, or submit false medical claims to Medicare or private insurance companies.
How You Can Protect Yourself or Your Loved One from Identity Theft
Do not give out personal information, such as Social Security or bank account numbers, over the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you initiated the contact and you are sure you know with whom you are dealing.
If you receive a suspicious phone call from a recorded or live “representative” from your bank asking you to update information or verify account numbers, hang up immediately. Contact your bank and tell them about the call. Do not attempt to verify the call by asking for your account number.
Protect your mail. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office instead of an unsecured mailbox. Remove mail from your mailbox promptly. If you are going to be away from home and cannot pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to ask for a vacation hold.
Tear or shred charge receipts, credit card applications, checks and bank statements, medical insurance forms, expired credit cards, and other documents containing your account numbers or your social security number before throwing them away.
Check your bank account statements regularly. Be alert for any unauthorized transaction, regardless of the size. Do not assume an odd electronic transfer or check is a payment you just forgot about. It could be a scammer probing to see if the fraud will go unnoticed.
If you use an automatic bill payment system, review your payment history as well as your payee list to make sure there are not any unauthorized transactions. The sooner you report the theft the better.
Do not carry your social security card in your wallet. Keep it in a secure place.
Only give someone your social security number when it is absolutely necessary. Ask to use other identifiers when possible. Do not put your social security number on checks.
Use gel pens to write checks. These inks cannot be easily dissolved, making it more difficult for thieves to reuse your checks.
Place passwords on credit card, bank, and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information as passwords, such as your mother’s maiden name, birth date, or the last four digits of your social security number.
Secure personal information in your home, especially when you employ outside help or are having work done in your home. Keep your purse or wallet out of sight and in a safe place.
When you use an ATM, look for suspicious devices and don't let anyone stand nearby. Take your card and receipt with you. Memorize your PIN instead of keeping it written down.
Do not store credit card numbers and other financial information on your cell phone.
Place a freeze on your credit reports. A freeze prevents anyone from looking at your credit files for the purpose of authorizing new accounts unless you decide to lift the freeze for a specific party or period of time. If your credit files are frozen and an impostor applies for credit in your name, the application cannot be processed. In Oklahoma, this service costs no more than $10 and is free for all Oklahomans 65 or older or anyone who is a victim of identity theft.
More on How to Place a Freeze on Your Credit Report
What To Do If You or Your Loved One Are a Victim of Identity Theft
If you or someone you know is a victim of identity theft, take the following steps:
If the situation requires immediate attention, notify the local police department. Click here to find your local police department or sheriff’s office.
Contact Oklahoma Adult Protective Services at 800-522-3511.
To report consumer fraud, contact the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office, Consumer Protection Unit at 405-521-3921 or 918-581-2885.
Notify your bank(s), credit card companies, or other financial institutions.
Request a freeze and a fraud alert to be placed on your credit reports. Once one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, alerts will be sent to the other two, and all three reports will be sent to you. Click here for more information about freezing your credit files.
Equifax 1-800-525-6285
Experian 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion 1-800-680-7289
Close any bank accounts and cancel credit, debit, and/or ATM cards that have been opened or accessed fraudulently. Contact each company by phone and certified letter. Keep all records and document each conversation.
For new unauthorized accounts, ask if the company accepts the ID Theft Affidavit . If they do not, ask for the company’s fraud dispute forms.
For your existing accounts, ask for the company’s fraud dispute forms.
If the disputed charges are erased, make sure the company notifies you in writing.
To deal with fraudulent checks, close your account and ask the bank to notify the appropriate check verification service.
File an ID Theft Complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by clicking here or by calling 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338). Print a copy of your ID Theft Complaint.
File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place. Take a copy of the ID Theft Complaint you filed with the Federal Trade Commission to be incorporated in the police report. Get a copy of the police report and the report number.
Apply for the Oklahoma Identity Theft Passport. Submit copies of the ID Theft Complaint filed with the FTC, the police report, ID Theft Affidavit(s) filed, and the certified mail delivery receipts received by one or more of the three consumer credit bureaus to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
After you are issued an ID Theft Passport, the OSBI will contact the Department of Public Safety, and the ID Theft Passport will be attached to criminal history records for purposes of criminal background and law enforcement checks. If you have an ID Theft Passport, crimes committed by a thief who fraudulently used your identity will not appear on your record.
Keep all documentation, including correspondence, police reports and forms, even after you believe everything has been resolved.
People who are isolated, recently widowed, physically or mentally disabled, unfamiliar with financial matters or who have family members who are unemployed and/or have substance abuse problems are especially vulnerable to financial exploitation.
Warning signs of exploitation include:
- Unpaid bills
- Eviction notices or notices to discontinue utilities
- Unexplained bank account withdrawals or transfers
- Financial statements sent to someone other than the elder
- New friends who no one else knows
- The existence of legal documents, such as powers of attorney, which the older person didn't understand at the time he or she signed them
- Caregiver expresses excessive interest in the amount of money being spent on the older person
- Missing property or other personal belongings
- Suspicious signatures on checks or other documents
- Missing financial documents
- Unsatisfactory explanations about the elderly person's finances by the elder or the caregiver
Who Is Vulnerable?
People who are isolated, recently widowed, physically or mentally disabled, unfamiliar with financial matters or who have family members who are unemployed and/or have substance abuse problems are especially vulnerable to financial exploitation.
Warning signs of exploitation include:
- Unpaid bills
- Eviction notices or notices to discontinue utilities
- Unexplained bank account withdrawals or transfers
- Financial statements sent to someone other than the elder
- New friends who no one else knows
- The existence of legal documents, such as powers of attorney, which the older person didn't understand at the time he or she signed them
- Caregiver expresses excessive interest in the amount of money being spent on the older person
- Missing property or other personal belongings
- Suspicious signatures on checks or other documents
- Missing financial documents
- Unsatisfactory explanations about the elderly person's finances by the elder or the caregiver
Who Is Vulnerable?
People who are isolated, recently widowed, physically or mentally disabled, unfamiliar with financial matters or who have family members who are unemployed and/or have substance abuse problems are especially vulnerable to financial exploitation.
Warning signs of exploitation include:
- Unpaid bills
- Eviction notices or notices to discontinue utilities
- Unexplained bank account withdrawals or transfers
- Financial statements sent to someone other than the elder
- New friends who no one else knows
- The existence of legal documents, such as powers of attorney, which the older person didn't understand at the time he or she signed them
- Caregiver expresses excessive interest in the amount of money being spent on the older person
- Missing property or other personal belongings
- Suspicious signatures on checks or other documents
- Missing financial documents
- Unsatisfactory explanations about the elderly person's finances by the elder or the caregiver
Click here if you or someone you know is a victim of identity theft.
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