Minnesota Attorney General's Office
1400 Bremer Tower
445 Minnesota Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
(651) 296-3353
(800) 657-3787
M - F 8 am - 5 pm
TTY:(651) 297-7206
TTY:(800) 366-4812
Guarding Your Privacy (PDF)
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: What is Personal Information and Identity Theft?
The Personal Information Trade 6
Personalization
Personal Information
Identity Theft
Identity Thieves
Victims of Identity Theft
Legal Protections Against Identity Theft
Credit Bureaus
Easy Access to Credit
Social Security Numbers as Universal Identifiers
What Is a Credit Bureau?
What Is In a Credit Report?
What Is Your Social Security Statement?
What Is on My Driving Record?
Who Can Get the Information in My Driving Record?
What Is in My Medical Information Report?
Businesses and Other Organizations With Information About You
Sale of Personal Information by State and Local Governments
Diverting Your Mail
Pedigree Information Completes the Scam
Remove Your Name from Marketing Lists
Don’t Be an Easy Target
Be Smart With Credit Cards
Shop Smartly Online
Contact the Credit Bureaus
Contact Banks and Creditors
Report the Crime
Keep Detailed Records
Cancel Stolen Checks
Contact the Post Office
Review Regular Bills
Watch for Social Security Number Misuse
Report Passport Theft
Clear False Criminal or Civil Judgments
Attack Credit Report Fraud
Get Legal Help
Contact Your Legislators
Don’t Give Up
Additional Consumer Information
Sample Letter to Restrict Sharing of Personal Information About You (PDF)