文档介绍：What’s
It All
About?
Federal mission
May 2003
Dear Consumer:
The Federal mission has
published this booklet to help raise
consumer awareness of identity theft.
If you or someone you know is a victim of
identity theft, please visit
heft. The informa-
tion you enter there es part of a
secure database that’s used by law
enforcement officials across the nation to
help stop identity thieves. The site also has
links to useful information from other
federal agencies, states and consumer
organizations.
You also may want to call 1-877-ID
THEFT, the FTC’s toll-free ID Theft
Hotline, where counselors help consumers
who want or need more information about
dealing with the consequences of identity
theft.
We encourage you to share this booklet
with your family, friends, colleagues and
neighbors.
Sincerely,
J. Howard Beales, III
Director
Bureau of Consumer Protection
Federal mission
Contents
Letter to Consumers
Introduction .................................... 1
How Identity Theft Occurs ............... 2
How Can I Tell if I’m a Victim of
Identity Theft? ................................. 5
Managing Your Personal
Information .................................... 6
A Special Word About Social
Security Numbers ....................... 9
If Your Identity’s Been Stolen ......... 12
FTC Privacy Policy ......................... 18
Introduction
he 1990’s spawned a new variety of
Tcrooks called identity thieves. Their
stock in trade? Your everyday transac-
tions, which usually reveal bits of your
personal information: your bank and credit
card account numbers; your e; your
Social Security number (SSN); or your
name, address and phone numbers. An
identity thief obtains some piece of your
sensitive information and uses it without
your knowledge mit fraud or theft.
Identity theft is a serious crime. People
whose identities have been stolen can
spend months or years – and their hard-
earned money – cleaning up the mess the
t