Real Estate Articles
With Cases On the Rise, REALTORS® Share Tips to Prevent Identity Theft
Cases of identity theft are increasing so much that Santa Clara County, Santa County District Attorney Dolores Carr told Silicon Valley REALTORS® at their local meeting this month that her office now has a high tech identity task force which focuses solely on identity theft.
Operating on a regional basis, in cooperation with the counties of San Mateo, Alameda and San Francisco, the task force has been able to monitor and prevent numerous instances of computer hacking and other attempts at identity theft.
"We are facing a grave regional and nationwide problem," Carr said as she recounted examples of local cases traced to hackers from out of state.
"Identity theft is a serious and costly crime," said Jeff Bell, president of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS®. "People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record. In the meantime, victims may lose job opportunities, refused loans, housing or cars, or even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit."
The local trade association shares the following tips from the Federal Trade Commission and the Office of Privacy Protection in the California Department of Consumer Affairs that can help lower the risk of becoming a victim:
• Protect your accounts against fraud.
Contact the fraud department of any of the three consumer reporting companies— Equifax®, ExperianSM and Trans Union®—to place a fraud alert on your credit report. The fraud alert automatically lets credit card companies and other creditors know they must contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. You can get one free credit report every year from each of the three national credit bureaus.
• Don't get caught by "phishing."
Scam artists "phish" for victims' information by posing as representatives of banks, stores or government agencies over the phone, through regular mail, and especially e-mail. Don't respond to a request to verify your account number or password. Don't give out your personal information unless you made the contact.
• Keep your identity from getting trashed.
Invest in a paper shredder and shred all papers with personal information before you throw them away, including unwanted credit card applications and "convenience checks" that come in the mail, credit card receipts with your account number, including outdated financial papers.
• Control your personal financial information.
Many states have laws requiring banks and other financial institutions to get your permission before sharing your personal financial information with outside companies. Write to your companies that you want to "opt-out" of sharing your personal financial information with their affiliates.
• Shield your computer from viruses and spies.
Use passwords with at least eight characters, including a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. Use firewall and virus protection software and update it regularly. Download free software only from sites you know and trust. Don't click on links in pop-up windows or in spam e-mail, and don't download any file from an e-mail address you don't know. Enter personal information only on secure Web pages with "https" in the address bar and a closed padlock symbol at the bottom of the browser window.
• Check your bills and bank statements.
Open your credit card bills and bank statements right away. Check for any unauthorized charges or withdrawals and report them immediately.
• Stop pre-approved credit offers.
Stop most pre-approved credit card offers by calling toll-free 888-5OPTOUT (888-567-8688) to have your name removed from credit bureau marketing lists.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.
For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.