REDcard^®

Introduction

Identity theft is the fastest-growing financial crime in the United States, with millions of victims to date. Criminals take names, Social Security Numbers and other personal information to obtain credit, property and services. If it happens to you, steps can be taken to limit the damage to your good name.

What Is Identity Theft?

Identity theft occurs when someone takes your personal information, such as your Social Security Number or a credit card number, and uses that information in a fraudulent way. This information can come from a variety of sources, such as:

• E-mail/Internet (Identity theft rings posing as legitimate businesses)
• Bank statements
• Credit card statements
• Credit card receipts
• Checks
• Telephone calling cards
• Driver's License
• Tax Information
• Vehicle purchase documentation
• Mortgage records
• Employment records
• Health insurance/medical records
• Un-shredded personal documents
• Unsecured Social Security Number
• Unsecured PIN (Personal Identification Number)
• Personal mailboxes (unsecured) / trash bins

What Can You Do to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft?

There are many free and easy steps that you can take to help protect yourself against credit fraud and identity theft.

• 1. Examine Your Credit Report Once a Year for Any Unauthorized Accounts or Account Activity.

  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. Go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp to order a free copy of your credit report.

• 2. Monitor Billing Statements of Existing Accounts for Unusual or Unauthorized Activity.

  Keeping copies of your charge slips and comparing them to billing statement information will help you catch fraud quickly. If you ever see unauthorized activity on your Target Visa Credit Card, Target Credit Card or Target Debit Card, call 1-888-755-5856.

• 3. Be Cautious About Giving out Personal Information over the Internet.

  Only give information to known or well-established websites. Many people find that their information has been stolen after they respond to an e-mail requesting personal information.

• 4. Carry Only the Information You Need.

  Storing personal information such as a social security number in your wallet or someplace easily accessible to others puts that information at risk. Carrying as few cards as possible minimizes the risk if your wallet is stolen. Also, never write personal information such as an account number or driver's license number on the outside of an envelope.

• 5. Protect Your Computer.

  Installing up-to-date Anti Virus software, spyware and firewalls will minimize the risk that your computer will be hacked or compromised. Also, using the most current version of your internet browser will help guard against spam and other malicious code. Finally, do not click on or download information from unknown sites. These sites can plant computer code on your computer that steals your personal information.

Back to Top

What Can I Do if I Am Already a Victim?

• 1. Contact the Police.

  Report the incident to the police in the city where the crime was committed:

  • Give the police copies of relevant documents (keep the originals)
  • Give the police the names and addresses of affected financial institutions and creditors. If someone has fraudulently opened a credit card account using your name and you know the address where the fraudulent credit cards were sent, provide the police with the address.
  • You may want to ask the police to list each fraudulent account in their report.
  • Request a copy of the police report. (NOTE: Affected companies and financial institutions may ask you for a copy of this report).
  • Ask for the phone number and name of the police contact that will handle your case.



• 2. Contact Creditors.

  Contact each company that may have been affected. Call and send follow-up letters to every company where you think your name may have been used fraudulently in some way - credit card issuers, department stores, utility companies or others. In addition, do the following:

  • Ask them to close any fraudulent accounts you become aware of and ask the companies to report any necessary corrections to the three major credit bureaus.
  • If someone has taken over your accounts and you want to maintain accounts with those companies, ask for replacement credit cards with new account numbers.



• 3. Contact Major Credit Bureaus.

  Call all three major credit bureaus to request that a fraud alert be added to your credit file. Ask each bureau to do the following:

  • Send you a copy of your credit report. When it arrives, be sure to look through it carefully and ask them to investigate any incorrect information.
  • Ask credit grantors to contact you by phone before opening new accounts.

  Equifax
  Attn: Fraud Unit
  P.O. Box 740241
  Atlanta, Georgia 30374
  800-525-6285
  Website: www.equifax.com

  
  

  Experian
  Attn: Consumer Credit Fraud Assistance Department
  P.O. Box 9532
  Allen, Texas 75013
  888-EXPERIAN or 888-397-3742
  (select option for fraud)
  Website:www.experian.com

  
  

  Trans Union
  Attn: Attn: Victim Assistance Departmen
  P.O. Box 6790
  Fullerton, CA 92834
  800-680-7289
  Website:www.transunion.com



Back to Top

Additional Steps to Take

• 1. Contact Government Agencies

  
  

  Federal Trade Commission
  
  (FTC) - the FTC maintains an identity theft website that you may find helpful: www.consumer.gov/idtheft

  You may also want to contact the FTC Identity Theft Hotline at 877-438-4338.

  
  
  

  United States Postal Service
  
  Mail Theft is a felony. If you believe that someone has filed a change of address form in your name with the U.S. Postal Service or used the mail to commit fraud, consider doing the following:

  • Notify your Postal Inspector and explain what happened.
  • Call and write to the postal authority where the fraud was committed. Ask for a "fraud complaint" form to make sure that no mail with your name on it continues to be sent to a fraudulent address. You can also access this form on the https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/ website.
  
  

  Secret Service
  
  The secret service has jurisdiction over some areas of financial fraud. They are especially concerned with organized crime and large gangs that are involved in identity theft. You can contact them at http://www.secretservice.gov/. The phone number can be found under the government listings in your local phone directory.

  
  
  

  Social Security Administration
  
  To report fraudulent use of your Social Security Number, call the Social Security Fraud Hotline at 800-269-0271. You may also want to visit the website of the Social Security Administration at www.ssa.gov/oig.

  
  
  

  Social Security Fraud Hotline
  P.O. Box 17768
  Baltimore, Maryland 21235
  Email: oig.hotline@ssa.gov
  Fax: 410-597-0118

  
  
  

  Department of Motor Vehicles
  
  Be aware that someone using your name can have a fake driver's license made. If you suspect this, you should notify the Department of Motor Vehicles in your state of residence.

  
  
  

  Federal Government Information Center
  
  For passport concerns, contact the Federal Government Information Center at 800-688-9889 for the phone number and address of the passport office. You can also visit the website of the Federal Citizen Information Center at www.info.gov.

  
  
  

• 2. Watch Your Mail

  
  
  • Look for additional evidence of fraudulent activity in your mail and credit card bills.
  • Report any new evidence to the credit bureaus, affected companies, and the police.



• 3. Protect Personal Information

  
  
  • Before you give out any personal information, find out how it will be used and whether it will be shared.
  • Keep personal data in a safe place such as a locked cabinet, safe, or safe deposit box.
  • Store personal records that you keep at work in a safe place.
  • Shred or destroy credit card slips, bank account data, loan information, and other financial records before throwing them out.
  • Review your credit bureau report at least once a year for accuracy.



• 4. Keep Good Records During the Fraud Investigation

  
  
  • Keep a log of all your calls: write down the names, dates, and phone numbers (including extensions) of the people you talked to.
  • Maintain copies of all your letters/e-mails to authorities, financial institutions, and creditors.
  • Request time frames concerning the receipt of documentation and the resolution of your disputes. We may ask you to fill out a Questionnaire and Affidavit of Forgery. After we receive the completed forms, we will proceed with an investigation and send any necessary updates to all three major credit bureaus.
Back to Top

What Can You Expect from Financial and Retail Services?

Financial and Retail Services is ready to assist you if someone has stolen your identity, fraudulently opened and/or used a credit card account with Target National Bank or fraudulently opened and/or used a Target Debit Card. If you've experienced fraud in connection with a Target^® Visa^® Credit Card, Target Credit Card^® or Target Debit Card^™ call the following number to reach a Guest Services Representative:




Target Visa Credit Card: 888-755-5856

Target Credit Card: 800-659-2396

Target Debit Card: 888-729-7331




Financial and Retail Services takes a proactive approach to fighting fraud and identity theft. When a transaction or REDcard (Target Visa Credit Card, Target Credit Card or Target Debit Card) application looks suspicious, we will call you to verify that you have authorized the application or transaction. You are not responsible for any charges or transactions on your REDcard that you did not authorize. We will work to quickly resolve any fraud situations you may have with your REDcard.




For some online account changes or other changes to your REDcard, you may be prompted to provide additional information about yourself, your account or your REDcard. This helps us ensure that we are talking to the right guest and reduces the risk of fraud and the possibility of identity theft.




Phishing and Pharming are two ways your identity can be compromised. These scams often begin with an e-mail from a legitimate looking site, like a merchant that you use or your bank. These e-mails will often ask you to click on a link to update your information or change your account in some way. These links lead to very legitimate looking sites, but are not associated with the company they pretend to be. Target will not send you an e-mail that requests personal information. If you ever have a concern about a Target e-mail, do not give out any information. Call the Guest Relations number (800) 440-0680 to verify that you were working with an official Target web site. If you receive an e-mail that you believe is fraudulent, please send it to confirmation.services@target.com.

Back to Top

HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION?

Here are some other useful contacts regarding Identity theft and online scams.




Federal Trade Commission

(FTC) - the FTC maintains an identity theft website that you may find helpful: www.consumer.gov/idtheft

1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338)





OnGuard

Onguard provides helpful tips to protect against internet fraud, secure your computer and protect your personal information.

www.OnGuardOnline.gov

www.onguardonline.gov/stopthinkclick.html





The three major credit bureaus




Equifaxwww.equifax.com

Experianwww.Experian.com

Trans Unionwww.transunion.com





Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

This online video give useful information on how to avoid online scams.

http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/guard/index.html





Take Charge

A detailed look at fighting back against Identity theft.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

Back to Top



REDcard®: Existing Target Credit Cards, Target Visa^® Credit Cards and Target Debit Cards, and new Target Credit Cards and Target Debit Cards. New cards subject to application approval.