Exhibit 13: What To Know About Identity Theft — Case 2:22-cv-12908-SFC-EAS, ECF No. 1-14, Filed 11/30/22

Summary

ECF No. 1-14 in Case 2:22-cv-12908-SFC-EAS, filed November 30, 2022, is Exhibit 13: an eight-page printout of a consumer guidance article titled What To Know About Identity Theft, dated April 2021. The article defines identity theft and lists ways stolen information can be used, including opening accounts, stealing tax refunds and using health insurance. It sets out steps to protect personal information, such as shredding documents, questioning requests for a Social Security number, using strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. It describes ways to detect identity theft, points readers to IdentityTheft.gov, and explains what credit monitoring, identity monitoring, identity recovery services and identity theft insurance do and do not cover.

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Case 2:22-cv-12908-SFC-EAS ECF No. 1-14, PageID.381 Filed 11/30/22 Page 1 of 8




                  Exhibit 13
  Case 2:22-cv-12908-SFC-EAS ECF No. 1-14, PageID.382 Filed 11/30/22 Page 2 of 8




 Article

What To Know About Identity Theft



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Learn what identity theft is, how to protect yourself against it, and how to
know if someone stole your identity.
What Is Identity Theft?
How To Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft
How To Know if Someone Stole Your Identity
Monitoring Services, Recovery Services, and Identity Theft Insurance


What Is Identity Theft?
Identity theft is when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission.
They might steal your name and address, credit card, or bank account numbers, Social Security number, or medical
insurance account numbers. And they could use them to
    buy things with your credit cards
    get new credit cards in your name
    open a phone, electricity, or gas account in your name
  Case 2:22-cv-12908-SFC-EAS ECF No. 1-14, PageID.383 Filed 11/30/22 Page 3 of 8


    steal your tax refund
    use your health insurance to get medical care
    pretend to be you if they are arrested


How To Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft
Taking steps to protect your personal information can help you avoid identity theft. Here’s what you can do to stay
ahead of identity thieves.
Protect documents that have personal information
Keep your financial records, Social Security and Medicare cards, and any other
documents that have personal information in a safe place. When you decide to get rid of
those documents, shred them before you throw them away. If you don’t have a shredder,
look for a local shred day, or use a marker to block out account numbers.
If you get statements with personal information in the mail, take your mail out of the mailbox as soon as you can.

Ask questions before giving out your Social Security number
Some organizations need your Social Security number to identify you. Those organizations include the IRS, your
bank, and your employer. Organizations like these that do need your Social Security number won’t call, email, or
text you to ask for it.
Other organizations that might ask you for your Social Security number might not really need it. Those
organizations include a medical provider, a company, or your child’s school. Ask these questions before you give
them your Social Security number:
    Why do you need it?
    How will you protect it?
    Can you use a different identifier?
    Can you use just the last four digits of my Social Security number?

Protect your information from scammers online and on your phone
If you’re logging in to an online account, use a strong password.
  Case 2:22-cv-12908-SFC-EAS ECF No. 1-14, PageID.384 Filed 11/30/22 Page 4 of 8

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Add multi-factor authentication for accounts that offer it. Multi-factor authentication offers extra security by
requiring two or more credentials to log in to your account. The additional credentials you need to log in to your
account fall into two categories: something you have — like a passcode you get via text message or an
authentication app, or something you are — like a scan of your fingerprint, your retina, or your face. Multi-factor
authentication makes it harder for scammers to log in to your accounts if they do get your username and password.
Do not give your personal information to someone who calls, emails, or texts you. It could be a scammer trying to
steal your information.
                                    Watch 5 Ways To Help Protect Your Identity.




How To Know if Someone Stole Your Identity
In addition to taking steps to protect your information, it pays to know how to tell if someone stole your identity.
There are things you can do yourself to detect identity theft. There also are companies that sell credit and identity
monitoring services.

What you can do to detect identity theft
Here’s what you can do to spot identity theft:
   Track what bills you owe and when they’re due. If you stop getting a bill, that could be a sign
   that someone changed your billing address.
   Review your bills. Charges for things you didn’t buy could be a sign of identity theft. So could a
   new bill you didn’t expect.
   Check your bank account statement. Withdrawals you didn’t make could be a sign of identity
   theft.
     Get and review your credit reports. Accounts in your name that you don’t recognize could be a
     sign of identity theft. Here’s how you can get your free credit reports.
  Case 2:22-cv-12908-SFC-EAS ECF No. 1-14, PageID.385 Filed 11/30/22 Page 5 of 8



     If you discover that someone is misusing your personal information, visit IdentityTheft.gov
                              to report and recover from identity theft.


Monitoring Services, Recovery Services, and
Identity Theft Insurance

Many companies sell identity theft protection services that may include credit monitoring, identity monitoring,
identity recovery services, and identity theft insurance. These services also might be offered by your
    bank or credit union
    credit card provider
    employer’s benefits program
    insurance company

Credit monitoring services
Credit monitoring services scan activity that shows up on your credit reports. They might monitor activity at one,
two, or all three of the major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Credit monitoring services will usually alert you when
   a company checks your credit history
   a new loan or credit card account appears on your credit reports
   a creditor or debt collector says your payment is late
    public records show that you filed for bankruptcy
    someone files a lawsuit against you
    your credit limit changes
    your personal information, like your name, address, or phone number, changes
Credit monitoring services will not alert you when
  Case 2:22-cv-12908-SFC-EAS ECF No. 1-14, PageID.386 Filed 11/30/22 Page 6 of 8


    someone withdraws money from your bank account
    someone uses your Social Security number to file a tax return and collect your refund
If you’re considering using a credit monitoring service, here are some questions you can ask them:
     How often do you check credit reports for changes?
     Which of the three credit bureaus do you monitor?
     Is there a limit to how often I can review my credit reports?
     Will I be charged each time I review my credit reports?

    Are other services included, like access to my credit score?

Identity monitoring services
Companies that offer identity monitoring services check databases that collect different types of information to see
if they contain new or inaccurate information about you. Those could be a sign that someone is using your personal
information. These services can detect uses of your personal information that won’t show up on your credit report.
Identity monitoring services may tell you when your information shows up in
    a change of address request
    court or arrest records
    orders for new utility, cable, or wireless services
    an application for a payday loan
    a request to cash a check
    on social media
    on websites that identity thieves use to trade stolen information
Most identity monitoring services will not alert you if someone uses your information to
   file a tax return and collect your refund
    get Medicare benefits
    get Medicaid benefits
    get welfare benefits
  Case 2:22-cv-12908-SFC-EAS ECF No. 1-14, PageID.387 Filed 11/30/22 Page 7 of 8


    claim Social Security benefits
    claim unemployment benefits

Identity recovery services
Companies that sell credit and identity monitoring services also may offer identity recovery services to help you fix
any damage caused by identity theft. These services may be included or cost extra. Some of the services they
offer may be things you can do on your own for little or no cost.


Identity recovery services typically give you access to counselors or case managers who will help you recover your
identity. They may
    help you write letters to creditors and debt collectors
    place a freeze on your credit report to prevent an identity thief from opening new accounts in
    your name
    guide you through documents you have to review
Some services will represent you in dealing with creditors or other institutions if you formally grant them authority
to act on your behalf.

Identity theft insurance
Companies that sell monitoring services also may offer identity theft insurance. These services may be included or
cost extra.
Identity theft insurance may cover
    out-of-pocket expenses directly associated with reclaiming your identity, like
         the cost of copying documents
         postage costs for sending documents
         costs for getting documents notarized
    wages you lost
    legal fees you paid
Identity theft insurance generally won’t reimburse you for money stolen or financial loss resulting from the theft.
Most policies won’t pay if your loss is covered by your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance If you’re considering
  Case 2:22-cv-12908-SFC-EAS ECF No. 1-14, PageID.388 Filed 11/30/22 Page 8 of 8


Most policies wont pay if your loss is covered by your homeowners or renters insurance. If youre considering
getting identity theft insurance, ask about the deductible and find out what’s covered and what isn’t.


    Find out how to recognize the signs of medical identity theft, tax identity theft, and child
    identity theft.


Search Terms: identity theft

Download PDF (6.09 MB)
Topics: Identity Theft, Identity Theft and Online Security
April 2021
Related Items
What To Know About Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts


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