November 14, 2013, StL Today: Lake Saint Louis, MO: Lake Saint Louis police say that as many as 300 victims, including about 60 Lake Saint Louis residents, may have had their credit card information stolen. Investigators haven’t figured out a common location or thread as to where the thieves may be getting the information. They may have put skimming devices on area ATMs or hacked a computer database.
November 13, 2013, Bloomberg Business Week: Ireland: They signed up to receive discounts on vacation travel and other perks. Instead, more than 1.5 million Europeans who had enrolled in customer-loyalty programs learned this week that their personal data, including credit-card details in some instances, had been stolen in a cyber-attack on an Irish company they’d never heard of.
November 13, 2013, TimesUnion.com: Albany, New York: Heng Li, 27, of Brooklyn, who worked at the Golden Town Buffet in Glenmont, pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and first-degree scheme to defraud before Judge Stephen Herrick. On Aug. 5, Li was found with a credit card skimming device and a counterfeit Michigan identification card. According to the DA’s office, Li used the device to steal personal identification information from 39 credit cards.
Identity-Theft is a pervasive problem in today’s highly mobile and technological society. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that identity theft claims more than 10 million victims annually. As the above news notes, identity thieves know no boundaries and it can be difficult to impossible to fully protect yourself from identity-theft.
What can an identity thief do with your personal information? Some of the more common types of identity theft related frauds are:
- Credit Card Fraud
- Phone or utilities fraud
- Bank fraud
- Government Benefit Fraud
- Loan Fraud
Clues that your identity may have been stolen:
- You see withdrawals from your bank account that you can’t explain.
- You don’t get your bills or other mail.
- Debt collectors call you about debts that aren’t yours.
- You find unfamiliar accounts or charges on your credit report.
- Medical providers bill you for services you didn’t use.
- The IRS notifies you that more than one tax return was filed in your name, or that you have income from an employer you don’t work for.
- You get notice that your information was compromised by a data breach at a company where you do business or have an account.
Here are some basic steps consumers can do to protect themselves from identity theft:
- Review your consumer credit reports annually
- Shred or destroy unwanted documents that contain your personal information
- Do not carry cards (Social Security Card, Medicare Card, etc.) in your wallet that have your Social Security Number on it.
- Never give out personal or financial information over the telephone.
- If conducting financial transactions over the internet, make sure you on a legitimate website. Look for “https” in the URL address; type in the known website address instead of clicking on a link sent to you by e-mail.
What to do if you are a victim of identity theft? If you suspect you are victim of identity theft, it is imperative that you act quickly to prevent further fraud.
1. Place an initial fraud alert with one of the three national credit reporting agencies: Equifax, TransUnion, or Experian. An initial fraud alert can make it harder for an identity thief to open more accounts in your name. You only need to call one reporting agency. The company you call must tell the other companies about your alert.
2. Order your credit report to review for frauds. Things to look for include credit cards you did not order, loans you did not make, addresses not related to you.
3. Make a police report with your local police and obtain a copy of that report and police report number. This will be needed later in trying to straighten out your credit.
4. Make an identity report with the Federal Trade Commission (www.FTC.gov). The FTC acts as an identity theft clearing house and is used by local and federal law enforcement agencies to look for trends, suspects, and cases. Your FTC identity theft report will be needed later to straighten out your credit. The FTC website has a wealth of information on identity theft.
5. If you know that a bank account or credit card number has been compromised, notify that bank or credit card issuer immediately.
Simpson Security and Investigative Advisory Group, LLC has extensive experience investigating and resolving identity theft complaints, and assisting businesses with preventive steps. Many identity thieves are cyber criminals operating in virtual anonymity in foreign countries, beyond the reach of U. S. law enforcement. Others can be local criminals like the waitress in the above news article, or even a “friend” or wayward relative who had access to your personal information. The best defense against identity theft is education and awareness.