GENTRY — Sherry King, deposit loss collector at Arvest Bank, offered tips on preventing and dealing with identity theft at the Booked for Lunch event at the Gentry Public Library on Monday.

She told those in attendance that identity thieves gain personal and financial information through such methods as dumpster diving and going through people’s trash, stealing their mail or even breaking into a car or home. They are especially interested in credit card offers, bills, bank statements and other personal information. Identity thieves may also attempt to steal information through e-mail or telephone calls posing as legitimate companies and requesting personal and financial information to resolve a problem with an account.

Once enough information is gained, identity thieves may open new credit card accounts, make purchases with the stolen identity, drain bank accounts or run up bills.

If a person’s information has been stolen, King suggested calling the Credit Bureaus to report the fraud,shutting down all compromised accounts and filing a police report. She stressed the importance of keeping good records and keeping them secure.

King outlined 20 steps to prevent identity theft, including the following suggestions:

◊Don’t give out your Social Security Number;

◊Protect your computer;

◊Invest in a shredder;

◊Examine financial statements;

◊Don’t put your Social Security Number, date of birth or driver’s license number on checks or on other documents which might be seen by the public;

◊Keep a copy of all credit and debit card information (front and back) carried in your purse or wallet so you will have all the numbers needed to call and cancel cards if lost or stolen.

King also gave telephone numbers for the three credit bureaus and said that anyone can receive a free credit report through www.annualcreditreport.com.

Credit bureau phone numbers are: Equifax - 800-525-6285; Experian - 888-Experian (or 888-397 3742); and TransUnion - 800-680-7289.

News, Pages 2 on 07/14/2010