At October's Riverside County Medical Association General Membership Meeting, guest speaker Det. Brian Money from the Riverside Police Department spoke on identity theft and white-collar crime in the physician's office.

Because identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the nation, I'd like to provide members who were unable to attend this important information. The following offers victims of identity theft several major resources. It is crucial to act quickly and assertively to minimize the damage this unfortunate incident may cause.

Identity theft involves acquiring key pieces of someone's identifying information, such as name, address, date of birth, Social Security number and mother's maiden name, in order to impersonate him or her. This information enables the thief to commit numerous forms of fraud, which include, but are not limited to taking over the victim's financial accounts; opening new bank accounts; purchasing automobiles; applying for loans, credit cards and Social Security benefits; renting apartments; and establishing services with utility and phone companies.

What to do if you become a victim:

* Set up a folder to keep a detailed history of the crime.

* Maintain a log of all your contacts, relevant phone numbers and the amount of time you spend in dealing with this matter. Make copies of all documents.

* Contact all creditors, by phone and in writing, to inform them of the problem. Here are some victim referral phone numbers:
Visa: 800/367-8472
MasterCard: 800/231-1750
Discover: 800/347-7466
American Express: 800/528-2121
Diners Club: 800/234-6377

* Notify the U.S. Postal Inspector if your mail has been tampered with or stolen at 626/405-1200 or www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect.

* Contact the Federal Trade Commission to report the problem at 877-IDTHEFT or www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

* Call all three credit bureaus' fraud units to report identity theft. Request to have a "Fraud Alert/Victim Impact" statement placed in your credit file, which asks creditors to call you before opening any new accounts. Request that a copy of your credit report be mailed to you. This is free to identity theft victims.
Equifax: 888/766-0008
Experian: 888/397-3742
TransUnion: 800/680-7289

* Alert your banks to flag your accounts and contact you to confirm any unusual activity. Change your PIN and set new passwords.

* If you have had checks stolen or bank accounts set up fraudulently, call the following companies:
National Check Fraud Service: 843/571-2143
Shared Check Authorization Network: 800/262-7771
TeleCheck: 800/710-9898
CheckRite: 800/766-2748
CrossCheck: 808/586-0551
Equifax Check Systems: 800/437-5120
International Check Services: 800/526-5380

* Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles to see if another license was issued in your name. If so, request a new license number by calling the DMV Fraud Hotline at 866/658-5758.

* Obtain witness information from people who accepted applications, salespeople, apartment managers and employers.

* Gather all documents and supply them to your local police department.

Other Valuable Numbers to Control Identity Theft

Check a Charity Before You Give: BBB Wise Giving Alliance, 703/276-0100 or www.give.org

Get Rid of Telemarketers: Do Not Call Registry, 888/382-1222 or www.donotcall.gov

Check Your Credit: Free Annual Credit Report, 877/322-8228 or  
www.annualcreditreport.com

Block Your Name From Preapproved Credit Offers: 888/567-8688 or www.optoutprescreen.com

Dolores Green is the executive director of the Riverside County Medical Association. She can be reached at 951/686-3342 or dgreen@rcmanet.org.