Gottschalk's, Inc., File No. 992 3004, Docket No. C-3878
J.C. Penney Company, Inc., and Thrift Drug, Inc., File No. 971 0016 and File No. 971 0017, Docket Nos. C-3721 and C-3722 Looksmart, Ltd., File No. 002 3379 May Department Stores Company, also doing business as Lord & Taylor, Hecht's, Strawbridge's, Foley's, Robinsons-May, Kaufmann's, Filene's, Famous Barr, L.S. Ayres, and Meier & Frank, File No. 972 3189, Docket No. C-3848 Montgomery Ward Credit Corporation and General Electric Capital Corporation, File No. 972 3188, Docket No. C-3839 National Financial Systems, Inc., Civil Action No. CV-990-7874, FTC File No. 982 3130 Perimeter Credit, L.L.C. and Account Portfolios, Inc., File No. 952 3142 Provident Companies, Inc. and UNUM Corporation, File No. 991 0101, Docket No. C-3894 Sprint Corporation, Sprint Communications Company L.P., et al. File No. 022 3160 Action Loan Company, Inc., et al., Civil No. 3:00CV-511-H FTC File No. 992 3119 Applied Card Systems, Inc., Delaware Corporation, and Applied Card Systems of Pennsylvania, Inc., Pennsylvania Corporation, File No. 032 3040 BUY.COM Inc., File No. 992 3282, Docket No. C-3978 Conoco Inc. and Phillips Petroleum Company, File No. 021 0040, Docket No. C-4058 Fleet Finance, Inc.; Home Equity U.S.A., Inc. (Rhode Island); and Home Equity U.S.A., Inc. (Delaware), File No. 932 3074, Docket No. C-3899 Ford Motor Credit Company, File No. 952 3149 AT&T Corp. File No. 022-3159 Equity Funding & Assocs., et al., Civil Action No. 98-70995, FTC Matter No. X98 0052 How many of these few companies are one of your creditors? Amazing isn't it that a country so built on credit that it's own creditors are most of the suits being filed today? All three credit bureaus have law suits filed against them and these companies hold the most private of all our information in their repositories. Scary isn't it?
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Shouldn't You Know What To Do If you are a Victim of Identity Theft?
Identity Theft
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Freedom of Information Act The Freedom of Information Act (F.O.I.A.) U.S.C. (United States Code) Sec. 552 was enacted in 1966 so that any individual or organization would have access to certain government records. The goal of the FOIA is to make all Federal government agency records available to the public, unless those records are protected by one of the nine FOIA exemptions. The Privacy Act of 1974 protects certain federal government records pertaining to individuals. In general, the Privacy Act prohibits the unauthorized disclosure of the records it protects. It also gives individuals the right to review records about themselves, to find out if these records have been disclosed, and to request corrections or amendments of these records, unless the records are legally exempt. The purpose of the FOIA and the Privacy Act is to give the public access to existing government records. These records include consumer complaints, investigations, and administrative records. They do not require an agency to create records, conduct investigations, or develop information to answer questions. For example, the FOIA does not require us to respond to a request that asks if it would be wise to purchase a particular product or invest in a particular business venture. To answer that type of request, we will look for general educational materials prepared by the agency that may help you to understand your rights and responsibilities under the law. We will release those records that are not covered by one of the FOIA exemptions. Thus, while we cannot give you specific advice, the information we provide may assist you in reaching your own conclusions. The Privacy Act of 1974 protects certain federal government records pertaining to individuals. In particular, the Act covers systems of records that an agency maintains and retrieves by an individual's name or other personal identifier (e.g., social security number). A list of the FTC's Privacy Act systems of records, including the routine uses of those records, is published in the Federal Register. The FTC's personnel records system and its consumer complaint system are examples of FTC Privacy Act systems of records. In general, the Privacy Act prohibits unauthorized disclosures of the records it protects. It also gives individuals the right to review records about themselves, to find out if these records have been disclosed, and to request corrections or amendments of these records, unless the records are legally exempt. To obtain access to records about you that may be in our systems of records, use our secure Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request Form. You will be given access to any information that the FOIA and the Privacy Act require us to disclose to you. To find out whether a specific FTC Privacy Act system contains any records about you, and, if so, to learn if those records have been disclosed, or to correct or amend records about you, use the FTC's procedures for Privacy Act requests, published in Commission Rule 4.13, 16 CFR 4.13. Privacy of Non-Government Records The Privacy Act of 1974 does not protect the privacy of your records that are not maintained by the federal government (e.g., credit report, bank account and medical records). Nonetheless, your non-governmental records may be protected by other federal and state laws, including statutes enforced by the FTC. | | New Law For Credit Bureaus The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights under the FCRA and how to order a free annual credit report.
A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.
How do I order my free report?
You can order your free annual credit report online at annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
When you order, you need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. To verify your identity, you may need to provide some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.
A Warning About "Imposter" Sites
The FTC advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell annualcreditreport.com, or link to it from the FTC's website to avoid being misdirected to other websites that offer supposedly free reports,but only with the purchase of other products. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized website, they are not required to make a purchase to receive their free annual credit reports.
For more information on free annual credit reports, read Your Access to Free Credit Reports. |
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