Libertiny Financial LLC offers steps to take in wake of Ford Motor Company data theft.
Detroit, MI (PRWEB) December 23, 2005 -- The Detroit Free Press has reported that approximately 70,000 active and former salaried employees of Ford Motor Company have had data including their name and U.S. Social Security numbers stolen.
Libertiny Financial LLC, a financial planning and advisory firm based in Michigan, warns that this situation could lead to identity theft or misuse of your personal information. The warning applies to current or past employees of Ford. It's not presently known if Visteon and ACH LLC employees have been affected.
Libertiny Financial LLC recommends that you take the following steps IMMEDIATELY to improve your chances of not being a victim of identity theft:
1) If you have or become a victim of identity theft, report the incident to the police and obtain a copy of the incident report.
2) Contact all three major credit reporting agencies and have them place a free fraud alert on your file for 90 days. While talking with them on the phone, obtain their mailing address and send them a written letter that confirms your conversation with them. Mailing information can also be obtained from their websites:
Equivax: 1-800-525-6285 or 1-888-766-0008 http://www.equifax.com/
Experian: 1-888 397 3742 http://www.experian.com/
Transunion: 1-800-680-7289 http://www.transunion.com
3) Contact all of your banks, credit unions, brokerage firms, mortgage companies, credit card, and debit card holders by phone and in writing regarding this issue, have them note the data theft and place a fraud alert on your accounts. For extra security, consider closing your accounts and opening new ones.
4) If you use a bank or credit union’s automatic payment process (ACH) for items such as your mortgage and car loan payments, contact the lender and let them know that your account numbers will be changing in order to avoid non-payment or late fees. Don’t forget to pay your lenders while you’re changing your accounts so that you don’t miss a payment. Then notify the mortgage and car loan company in writing with your new account information.
5) If you use an ATM card, credit card or debit card, obtain new ones and use a new password or pin.
6) Change all passwords on your computer and online access that you have with financial institutions including banks, credit unions, brokerage firms, mortgage companies, credit card, debit card holders and E-mail services.
7) Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC's) identity theft hotline at 877-438-4338 and file a complaint. The FTC does not resolve individual consumer problems itself, but your complaint may lead to law enforcement action.
8) Contact Ford's HR department on December 26th for additional information: 1-800-872-1614
9) Keep written copies of ALL correspondences that you have written and that you received in response.
The above steps will involve a lot of work and follow-up, but we urge you to begin this process today to lower your risk of identity theft.
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