Credit reports are a gold mine of information about consumers. They contain Social Security number, date of birth, current and previous addresses, telephone number (including unlisted numbers), credit payment status, employment, even legal information. Ordering your credit report once a year, verifying its accuracy and knowing your credit reporting rights are among the most important steps you can take to safeguard your privacy. Anyone with a "legitimate business need" can gain access to your credit history, including: loan companies, landlords, insurance companies, employers (but only with your consent), and other companies with a legitimate need. A recent amendment to the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the three Credit Reporting Bureaus to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months beginning June, 2005, at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Look for ways to "opt out" of mailing lists to reduce "junk" mail. Many businesses have policies in place to allow you to individually request to be removed from their marketing list. Participate in the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service (MPS). When you send them your name and address and signature, you are added to a list of people who do not want to receive mail from major nationwide catalog and marketing companies, however, it won't stop all junk mail. Registration is good for five years. ( Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008)

• In general, anytime you provide your name, address, telephone number or other personal information, you name could end up on mailing lists. The following activities often result in unsolicited mail and telemarketing calls: Direct marketers rent these lists of names if they think their product or service would appeal to the people on those lists. 
• Filing out warranty and registration cards. Give only name, address and serial number 
• Joining or donating money to clubs, organizations, and charities. 
• Entering sweepstakes and contests * Subscribing to magazines, book clubs, etc.. 
• Listing your telephone number and address in the phone book. 
• Getting married, buying a home, having a child, age milestones (18, 50, 65...)

Offers An amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that the credit bureaus provide an opt-out opportunity for consumers who do not want their names and addresses sold to credit grantors for marketing solicitations. The toll-free number, 888-5optout, was established then. The credit bureaus sell names and addresses to credit card companies who in turn mail pre-approved offers of credit to consumers. If you do not want to receive such solicitations, you can call this federally-mandated toll-free number to opt-out which is (888) 567-8688. 

There are several ways telemarketers get your number: telephone directory, street address directories, national phone directories, automatic dialing devices, signing up for a contest, a business captured your number when you called them and perhaps they gave the information to someone else and these are just a few of the ways telemarketers can get your number. Reduce calls from telemarketers by registering your telephone number on Florida's "No Sales Solicitation Call List". There is a small charge to register but once your number is on the list most telemarketers are prohibited from calling you. Contact the Division of Consumer Services at (800) 435-7352. You may also tell individual telemarketers that you want to be put on their "don't call list". To register for the Federal No Sales Call List, contact the FTC at 1-888-382-1222 or via their website at www.donotcall.gov.

Be very protective of your Social Security number. Only give it out when you know it is required for a legitimate purpose. Never carry your Social Security Card in your wallet; keep it with your other legal papers and only use it when necessary. Check to see what other items you may be carrying which also reflects your number, such as Insurance and Medicare cards. You may decide to keep those cards at home and only carry them when needed. The crime of identity theft is increasing at epidemic proportions. With the Social Security number accessible to so many people, it is relatively easy for someone to fraudulently use your SSN to assume your identity and gain access to your bank account, credit accounts, utilities records, and other sources of personal information. Identity thieves can also establish new credit and bank accounts in your name. There is no law, however, which prevents businesses from requesting your SSN, and there are few restrictions on what businesses can do with it. Also, even though you are not required to disclose your SSN, the business does not have to provide you with service if you refuse to release it. If a business insists on knowing your Social Security number when you cannot see a reason for it, speak to an administrator who may be authorized to make an exception or who may know that company policy does not require it. If the company will not allow you to use an alternate number, you may want to take your business elsewhere.

You can protect yourself against fraud through consumer education. Please call our office at (407) 836-2490 if you would like more information on this or any other consumer issue, or email us at fraudhelp@sao9.org.