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Identity Theft

New online national resource to help in the fight against fraud. www.fraud.org

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America, affecting approximately 500,000 new victims each year.

How Identity Theft is Committed

  • In public places, criminals may engage in “shoulder surfing” – watching you from a nearby location as you punch in your Personal ID (PIN) or credit card number.

  • Some criminals engage in ”dumpster diving” – going through your garbage cans or commercial dumpsters – to obtain copies of your checks, credit card or bank statements or other records that may bear your name, address or telephone number.

  • Criminals may simply steal your wallet or purse.

  • If you have received applications for “pre-approved” credit cards in the mail, but discard them without tearing up the enclosed materials, criminals may retrieve them and try to activate the cards for their use without your knowledge.

  • Criminals may open up a new credit card account, using your name, date of birth and Social Security number. When they use the credit card and don’t pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report.

  • They may establish a cellular phone service in your name.

  • They may open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on that account.

  • Criminals may pilfer bank statements, credit card statements, pre-approved credit card applications, etc., from your mailbox.

Protecting Your Identity

  • Limit the amount of confidential or personal information you carry in your wallet or purse.

  • Avoid carrying more blank checks than you actually need. Do not have your Social Security number pre-printed on your checks.

  • Keep good backup information about your accounts, in case your wallet or purse is lost or stolen.

  • When you go on vacation, take along a list of toll-free telephone numbers for your banking and credit card companies – not your card numbers – and keep the list in a safe place other than your wallet or purse.

  • Consider canceling any credit cards you don’t need or haven’t used recently.

  • Never respond to unsolicited requests for your social security number (SSN) or financial data.

  • Shred credit card applications you receive in the mail and don’t use.

  • Check all credit card and bank statements for accuracy.

  • Obtain a copy of your credit report yearly and check it for accuracy.

  • Be careful at ATM’s. “Shoulder Surfers” can obtain your “PIN” and get access to your accounts.

  • Do not put checks in the mail from your home mailbox. It is easy for someone to change the name of the recipient on the check with an acid wash.

  • Obtain a post office box, or locked mailbox, if you can.

  • Do not put your telephone number on your checks.

  • Consider an unlisted telephone number or just use an initial instead of full first name in the directory.

  • Obtain credit cards and business cards with your picture on them, if possible.

  • If someone you don’t know calls you on the telephone and offers you the chance to receive a “major” credit card, a prize, or other valuable item, but asks you for personal data –such as your Social Security number, credit card number, or mother’s maiden name – ask them to send you a written application form. If they won’t do it, tell them you are not interested and hang up.

  • When you are traveling, have your mail held at your local post office, or ask a neighbor you know well and trust to collect and hold your mail while you are away.

  • When you expect a new or replacement credit card in the mail, and it does not arrive, call the card company to see if it was sent. Also make certain no one filed a change of address.

  • If your monthly credit card or bank statements do not arrive at the normal time of the month, call the financial institution or credit card company immediately and ask why. Again, make certain no one filed a change of address.

  • More information can be found here: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/money/idtheftwhat/idtheftwhat.htm#ssn

Already a Victim of Identity Theft
If you have been the victim of identity theft, take the following measures. (In dealing with authorities and financial institutions, keep a log of all conversations, including dates, names and phone numbers. Confirm conversations in writing. Send correspondence by certified mail - return receipt requested. Keep copies of all correspondence).

  • File a report with your local law enforcement agency providing as much documented evidence as possible. Obtain a copy of the report and the name and telephone number of your fraud investigator. Provide it to creditors and others who require verification of your case.

  • Immediately contact the fraud units of the three credit reporting companies:

  • Experian(formerly TRW)
    P.O. Box 2104
    Allen, TX 75013-2104
    Fraud # = (800) 525-7195
    Web site: www.experian.com

    Equifax
    P.O. Box 105873
    Atlanta, GA 30348
    Fraud # (800) 525-6285
    Web site: www.equifax.com

    Trans Union Corporation
    P.O. Box 34012
    Fullerton, CA 92834
    Fraud # = (800) 680-7289
    Web site: www.tuc.com

  • Contact all creditors immediately with whom your name has been used fraudulently – by phone and in writing. Obtain replacement cards with new account numbers for those that have been fraudulently used. Ask that old accounts be processed as “account closed at consumer’s request.” Carefully monitor your mail and credit card bills for evidence of new fraudulent activity. Report such fraudulent activity immediately to credit grantors.

  • If you have had checks stolen or bank accounts set up fraudulently, report it to the check verification companies. Put stop payments on any outstanding checks you are unsure of. Cancel your checking and savings accounts and obtain new account numbers.

  • If your ATM card has been stolen or compromised, obtain a new card, account number and PIN. Do not use your old PIN. When creating a PIN, don’t use common numbers like the last four digits of your Social Security number or your birth date, AND DON’T WRITE IT DOWN.

  • Social Security Number Misuse - Call the Social Security Administration to report fraudulent use of your social security number (800-269-0271). As a last resort, you might want to change your Social Security number. The SSA will only change it if you fit their fraud victim criteria. Order a copy of your Social Security Earnings and Benefits Statement and check it for accuracy (800-772-1213).

For more information, contact the Federal Trade Commission:
www.consumer.gov/idtheft

For more information, contact the Community Affairs Section at (904) 810-6603, request more information through our Crime Prevention Information Form or send an email to any of the following:

Sgt Kim Bucher - kbucher@sjso.org (904) 810-6603

Dep Diana Bryant - dibryant@sjso.org (904) 810-6694

Dep Ricky Domingo - rdomingo@sjso.org (904) 810-6747

Dep Melissa Swindull - mswindull@sjso.org (904) 810-3623

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