- >rrm. 3, Keep your identity from getting "W trashed. What is Identity Theft? 1. Protect your social security number.

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2 What is Identity Theft? An identity thief takes some piece of your perso information and uses it without your knowledgr -' 2 thief may rup up debts or evm rcfmmpur name. k The following tips can help you lower your risk of Wc >r,g,sca 9,$,%:*< 1. Protect your social security number. Do NOT carry your Social Security card in your wallet. There are restrictions on the use of your social security number to identify you and your account. Do not give your social security number to anyone unless you have made the contact, and they are: +;-. -- entitled to ha 2. Don't take the "Phislaing" bait..,,..*-.: 7 % :, ~,-. ~ $..$.-3& A' ' - >rrm Scam artists "phish" for victims by pretending to?-i - h2 h be-banks, stores, or government agencies. They do >22 this over the phone, in s, and in the regular E- 3+ I-@& Don't give out your personal information &- Lu.leeyou mad. Donf, to a _&estto verify your account number or password. 3, Keep your identity from getting "W trashed. Protect your mail from thieves with a locked mailbox or a rented post office box. Deposit outgoing mail in blue post offtce boxes and retrieve your mail from your mailbox as soon as you can. Shred or tear up papers with personal information before you throw them away. Shred credit card offers and "convenience checks" that you don't use.

3 Top 10 Tips to Safeguard YOU *, - 4. Control your personal financial 6. Click with caution. informatior +*< When shopping online, ct.: LC,,,&:+,I?"..?<,,,,-c, 7x -,,,,",;,,$-ZF,' Federal W+wui,&,,,,,,* your personal financial information with outside'@ n. -r,;~ companies. You also have the right to limit the 6 sharing of your personal financial information with lz: - L affiliates of your financial institutions. Write to the & companies that you want to "opt-out" of sharing your personal financial information with their affiliates. (Contact the Direct Marketinq Associatior k. out the web ri &before entering your credit card number or other personal information. Read the privacy policy and look for opportunities to opt out of information sharing. (If there is no privacy policy posted, beware! Shop elsewhere.) Enter personal information only on secure web pages with "httpp in the address bar and a padlock symbol in the lower right corner (Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox programs). This shows that -.. your information will be encrypted or scrambled, protecting it from hackers. Open your credit card bills and bank statement right 5. Shield your computer from viruses and spies, Protect your personal information on your home computer. Use strong passwords with at least eight characters including letters, numbers, and symbols -a corn bination easy for you to remember but difficult for others toguess. Choose the name of a pet or a teacher and substitute numbers for similarlooking letters Ieg. smith could be Smlth). Avoid writing down the password. Use a firewall and virus protection software that you update regularly. Steer clear of spyware; download free software only from sites you know and trust. Do not install software without knowing what it is. Set your Internet Explorer browser security to,' at least "medium." Don't click on links in pop-up windows or in spam . 8, Consider stopb credit offers. p-r:.. r me-app ved Pre-approved crecr~t ~ard offers make a tempting target for identity thieves who steal mail. You may wish to have your name removed from gre-approved, unsolicited credit and insurance offers. To find r more, please call 888/50PTOt (888/567-8

4 Ask questions whenever you are a=.nl-.a pprcn irlformation that seems inappropriate for the..ansaction. Ask how the information will be use, and if it will be shared. Ask how it will be protected. Explain that you're concerned about identity theft If you're not satisfied with the answers, consider g somewhere else. 10. Check your cn t re _ rts - ft One of the best ways to protect yourbc~l I I "I identity theft is to monitor your credit history. IOU can get one free credit report every year from m each of the three national credit bureaus: Equifo Experian and Transunion. You can request all three reports at once (so you can compare them). Or, be I your own credit-monitoring service and spread out your requests, ordering from a different bureau 7$ every four months (so you can keep track of any""& %- chanqes or see new information on your credit % history). " '?*' Order your free annual credit reporrst&:s toll-free (877/ ) or online

5 ID Theft Prosecution Resources The ID Theft Prosecution Unit A soec~al~zed unlt of the -- rheft Prosecution Unit - r deputy district afiorne, investigators, and support staff.,,itearndoer. I- ip -I taiii$i rmn~gfdfidqtiv theft but - ^ *_. w, investgribh, ",, < L.,, - ".- The diret ~k&e~d~grj?ic~i~p&&te~~~ Theft. hot dr r rrminai~;<*hfi%~e.fq<sbl it-$ < <, ' The id THEFT UNIT ;951.# , sa > > Offers identity-theft Information an Riverside County is also fighting high-tech crimes wlth CATCH (Computer and Technology Crime High-Twh Response Team) -a task force comprisett of Riverside Coumy's prosecutors and invesqgators from the Da's Office and 5heriff's Department..CATCH conducts both the initial response and follow-up ~dyeiti~ations for all high-tech. " Y. www,ag.ca.govlldtheft California Dept of Justice Identity Theft Offers a registry and other information (888/W0:0240) The Federal Trade C~rnmission Qff~rs the brochure 7D Theft: When Bad Things Happento Your Good Namen and maintains an ID Thdt Hotline For more information, call 951/ or online, go to -&,%- yl+w Internet Crime Complaint Center (partnered with the FBI - and Nat'l White Collar Crlme Center) ",<,x A + Receives and refers to law enforcement suspected cybar If yau are a victim of identity theft, report it to the local crimes,. ppl[cegjsheriff where you live. Law enforcement agencie - " + af&";ired by hw [Penal Code to take an initial :.,, '!Bpdaw&&g1n an investigation. went agenries will forward t Californla Dept of Motor Vehicles offers infomatian and help tfyour driver's license or ID has been stolen

6 Credit Bureau Information -= To request your credir report on1 Y * L C~~~ITT* ani32ksab. TDD for the hearing impair*+ 877/730-41n* A < F *. <GLv- <: - < Qrdel a report: 8001 Report fraud 800/ *- y:? :,,?'=;I,<> Experian (formerly TRW, - $<+*7 i.& *%. Order a report/r@port fraud: 888i ; The infomatlon in this brochure ir for educational purpmes and should not k constnrd as legal advice or as the policy of the Kverslde County District Aftornej.PW43ce.