Information About Identity Theft Protection Guide

Free Credit Report. Watch for incidents of fraud or identity theft. Review your account statements. Get free credit reports for any activity you don’t recognize. You may get a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months from each of the three agencies listed above. To get your Annual Free Credit Report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com. Or call toll free at 1-877-322-8228. You can also get your Annual Free Credit Report by mailing a completed Annual Credit Report Request Form (on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) website at www.consumer.ftc.gov) to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

For Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and Vermont residents:

You may get one or more additional free copies of your report. The number of free copies depends on your state. You must contact each of the agencies directly to get more report(s).

Security Freeze. Security freezes are also known as credit freezes. They restrict access to your credit file. This makes it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. You can freeze and unfreeze your credit file for free. You also can get a free freeze for your children under age 16. If you are someone’s guardian, conservator or have a valid Power of Attorney, you can get a free freeze for them, too.

How will these freezes work?

Contact all three of the nationwide agencies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. If you request a freeze online or by phone, the agency must place the freeze within one business day. If you request a lift of the freeze, the agency must lift it within one hour. If you make your request by mail, the agency must place or lift the freeze within three business days after it gets your request. You can lift the freeze temporarily without a fee.

Don’t confuse freezes with locks. They work in a similar way. But locks may have monthly fees. If you want a free freeze guaranteed by federal law, choose a freeze. Do not choose a lock.

The following information must be included when requesting a security freeze. (If you request a credit report for your spouse, you must provide this information for him/her):

1. Full name, with middle initial and any suffixes
2. Social Security Number
3. Date of birth
4. Current address and any previous addresses for the past five years
5. Any applicable incident report or complaint with a law enforcement agency or the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

The request must include a copy of a government-issued identification card. It must also include a copy of a recent utility bill or bank or insurance statement. Each copy must be readable. It must show your name, current mailing address and the issue date.

For New Mexico residents: You may get a freeze to protect your privacy and ensure that credit is not granted in your name without your knowledge. You may submit a Declaration of Removal to remove information placed in your credit report as a result of being a victim of identity theft. You have a right to place a security freeze on your credit report or submit a Declaration of Removal pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting and Identity Security Act.

For Colorado and Illinois residents: You may get information from the credit reporting agencies and the FTC about freezes.

Fraud Alerts. A fraud alert tells businesses that check your credit to check with you before opening a new account. As of September 18, 2018, when you place a fraud alert, it will last one year. Fraud alerts are free. Identity theft victims can get a fraud alert for seven years.

For Colorado and Illinois residents: You may get more information from the credit reporting agencies and the FTC about fraud alerts.

Federal Trade Commission and State Attorneys General Offices. If you believe you are the victim of identity theft or have reason to believe your personal information has been misused, you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission and/or the Attorney General’s Office in your home state. You may also contact these agencies for information on how to prevent or avoid identity theft. You may contact the Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft, 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338).

For Maryland residents: You may contact the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division, 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore, MD 21202, www.oag.state.md.us, 1-888-743-0023.

For North Carolina residents: You may contact the North Carolina Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division, 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001, www.ncdoj.gov, 1-877-566-7226.

For Rhode Island residents: You may contact the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General, 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903, www.riag.ri.gov, 401-274-4400

Reporting of identity theft and getting a police report. You have the right to get any police report filed in the United States in regard to this incident. If you are the victim of fraud or identity theft, you also have the right to file a police report.

For Iowa residents: Report any suspected identity theft to law enforcement or to the Iowa Attorney General.

For Massachusetts residents: You have the right to get a police report if you are a victim of identity theft. You also have a right to file a police report and get a copy of it.

For Oregon residents: Report any suspected identity theft to law enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Oregon Attorney General.

For Rhode Island residents: You have the right to file or get a police report regarding this incident.