Credit Protection Advice Provided by New York City Housing Authority

Atlantic Avenue, near Pennsylvania Avenue in East New York was scattered with personal paperwork mid-March. This paperwork came from the City Housing Authority, and an unknown amount of tenants were exposed to possible identity theft.

Instead of being shredded, thousands of personal documents including income amounts, Social Security numbers, and court orders were found lying on city sidewalks. These documents date back to 2006.

There is currently an investigation underway to try to find out why these files weren’t shredded to protect the privacy of those involved. In the meantime, the New York City Housing Authority is providing those affected with information on how to protect their credit and how to safeguard their personal data in the event of misuse.

Just remember to not only listen to their credit protection information but to also take action on it as it is only by being proactive that we can reduce our chances of becoming an identity theft victim. You may also want to visit some identity theft protection sites to make sure that the credit information they give you is correct and sufficient. Hopefully it includes fraud alerts and not just the routine statement to check your credit reports.