Protecting Your Credit

By Rep. Betty Boukus

We have all seen the headlines and TV news reports about identity theft and credit card fraud. Criminals are able to steal your credit card numbers and personal information with the click of a computer mouse. We live in an age when our private information is at risk.

So, what do we do?

The legislature has provided consumers with a valuable tool called a credit freeze. You can have the major credit bureaus "freeze" your credit (Sec. 36a-701a of the Connecticut General Statutes). In other words, no one could open new credit cards or take out loans in your name, without your authorization.

To initiate a freeze, call the credit bureaus: Equifax - 1-800-525-6285; Experian - 1-888-397-3742; TransUnion - 1-800-680-7289.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and his staff has put together for Connecticut consumers a list of things we all can do to protect our credit and prevent identity theft:

• Report lost or stolen credit cards immediately.
• Keep your information in a secure place, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help or are having work done in your house.
• Never give out personal information over the phone, through the mail or over the internet unless you know and trust the business or individual you are dealing with.
• Do not put personal information such as social security numbers or dates of birth on checks.
• Never put credit card information or any financial account numbers on postcards or outsides of envelopes.
• Do not use an obvious password like your birthday, your mother's maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
• If you receive an e-mail request claiming to be from your Internet Service Provider (ISP), PayPal or some other business stating that your "account information needs to be updated" or that "the credit card you signed up with is invalid or expired and the information needs to be re-entered," do not respond without checking with the business and its credit card fraud department first. These emails are usually fraudulent.
• Get a free copy of your credit report to check for discrepancies. They provide free annual credit reports only through www.annualcreditreport.com, 877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

You can find more helpful hints on Attorney General Blumenthal’s website, www.ct.gov/ag.

What should you do if criminals get a hold of your personal information? Immediately contact your banks and credit card companies.  You should also call the three credit bureaus to alert them of the theft.  We also have a tremendous resource here at home, the Plainville Police Department 747-1616. They have the expertise to investigate the crime of identity theft.

If I can be of any assistance to you on this topic or any other state matter, please call my legislative aide Mary Anderson at 240-8500.

Elizabeth "Betty" Boukus is serving her seventh term in the General Assembly.  She represents the 22nd District, which includes Plainville and portions of Bristol and New Britain.