Identity theft in Chico...

The other afternoon, I was at a gathering with friends. I heard a car alarm in the parking lot and went to investigate. By the time I got out to my friend’s car (approximately 1 ½ minutes), a suspect had smashed the driver’s side window, taken a purse, and made a clean get-away. Luckily for my friend, she was able to call her banks and cancel all the cards, but not before the suspects could make a few purchases.

You may be just going into the store for a “few minutes”, but that is more than enough time for a criminal to take your belongings.

These last two weeks, I have taken six identity theft / fraud cases. These cases included “Nigerian” phone scams, and other cases where the victim’s identity was taken, though they had no idea how. It’s most likely that the information was either intercepted through internet purchases, or accessed from dishonest merchants. No matter the source, all cases involved significant effort on the part of the victim to stop the damage being done to their credit and to deal with the frustration of being victimized by unknown suspects.

We frequently hear from news stories about identity theft, “If it’s too good to be true…IT IS!” I have another one to remember, “You go to the grocery store; the grocery store doesn’t come to you!” Schwann’s kind of throws a wrench in the whole saying, but the principle still stands. I don’t do business with anyone selling products door to door, phone solicitors, or e-mail solicitors. I know from experience that people (especially those dropped off in vans) often will tell you the tale they think will get you to give them money. One door, it will be that they are trying to win a trip to Hawaii, if they can just sell a few more magazines, and the next it will be that they are trying to gain college tuition.

In your possession, your identity is gold. In a thieves possession, it’s your gold in their pocket. Treating potential merchants with a little suspicion will save a great deal of grief. SPAM protection and other identity protection measures are well worth it in the end.

Here are a few "ALWAYS" and "NEVER" principles to remember:

- ALWAYS mail checks from the Post Office. P.O. Boxes are a pretty good idea,
too.

- ALWAYS shred unwanted credit cards and old forms with personal identifying
information.

- ALWAYS lock up your extra checks, vehicle proofs of ownership, deeds, wills,
etc. in a solid safe (preferably one that is bolted to the ground).

- ALWAYS cover your PIN number when typing it into the ATM machine.

- ALWAYS insist that the clerk checks ID when using a credit or debit card.

- NEVER give any personal information over the phone, internet, Myspace and other
internet social services, etc.

- NEVER leave your purse, laptop computer, IPOD, etc. in plain view in your car.
Your windows surprisingly are not hammer-proof!

- NEVER click on SPAM ads that indicate:

o That you have received a BIG reward (‘cause you didn’t).

o That you have won the (insert country)’s lottery (‘cause you didn’t do that
one either).

o That people need to place a check into your account and have you forward the
money to them. No, REALLY, they will give you a BIG cut of the deal (‘cause
the check is stolen and you are just going to give them lots of your money).

o Or my favorite…offers to make you a “Big Macho…” or grant you other
“enhancements.” (You got what you were born with).

I investigated a case when I worked for the county. The suspect had the personal information for over 60 people in her possession. You know where she got it? From the Post Office garbage cans. The Post Office was great and installed shredders on their garbage cans after that investigation.

Store apathy, or in some cases employee complicity increases the success of these types of thieves. The first place suspects will go is to a gas station to test the card. If that’s a go, then it’s off to get some food. From there, it’s on to get a new wardrobe and maybe some really nice tools. These of course can be returned for money which is used to get…you guessed it, meth.

If you have been victimized, there are several things you will have to do to recover your loss. This is by no means a completely comprehensive guide to protection and handling identity theft, but it is a good primer. I have listed several internet sites at the end that will help you in your search. Steps to take include:

REPORT THE CRIME AND OBTAIN A POLICE REPORT:

- Include the following information:

o Fraudulent account information, if applicable.

o The location where the crime is occurring.

o The names of suspects, phone numbers, email addresses, or physical addresses
where fraudulently purchased items were delivered.

REPORT THE CRIME TO YOUR BANK(S) AND HAVE THEM CHANGE OR CANCEL ACCOUNTS:

- Many banks will not block the fraudulent transactions, in case of fraud or
“buyer’s remorse” on the part of the consumer. In this case, the bank will
require a Police report to clear the charges.

- Request new credit or debit cards with newly issued account numbers.

- If your identity theft case involves CHECKS, such as stolen checks or new
accounts set up fraudulently, ask your bank to report it to the Chex Systems
company.

CONTACT THE THREE CONSUMER CREDIT BUREAUS:

- Experian: 1 888 397 3742
www.experian.com/fraud

- Equifax: 1 800 255 0056
www.equifax.com

- TransUnion: 1 877 553 7803
www.transunion.com

o Often when you call one credit bureau, they will contact the other two for
you. They may offer you additional programs, but that it completely up to
you to decide upon.

o Have a 90 day security alert placed on your accounts.

o Have a credit “freeze” placed on your reports. This prevents credit issuers
from accessing your credit files, except when you give permission. The
office of Privacy Protection provides a free guide.

o Request a free credit report.

o Request an extension of the fraud alert to seven years (must be accompanied
by a Police report.) Fraud alerts may be cancelled at any time.

o Instruct the credit bureaus to remove all INQUIRIES generated due to the
fraudulent access.

o Instruct the credit bureaus to send notification to those receiving your
credit information within the last six months. Two years for employers.

o Monitor your credit reports (2-3 months following your initial report).

 This ensures that any fraudulent transactions that come through
following the initial report will be dealt with.

CALL CREDITORS TO BLOCK TRANSACTIONS FROM GOING THROUGH IF POSSIBLE.

- Some creditors may require a dispute claim form for each purchase. A sample
dispute form can be located through the FTC.

o Request copies of transaction documentation, including name, phone number,
email address used, delivering address, etc.

 Creditors may require a copy of the police report prior to releasing the
suspect's information.

o When the claim has been resolved, request a letter stating that the company
has closed the disputed account and has discharged the debts. KEEP THE
LETTER in your files.

REPORT THE CRIME TO THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC).

o This is not mandatory, but they act as a clearing house for information
regarding identity theft and dissipate information to investigating law
enforcement agencies. 1 877 438 4338

 www.consumer.gov/idtheft

 Or write: FTC Identity Theft Clearinghouse 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20580.

 The FTC’s uniform fraud affidavit form is available here.



OTHER IDENTITY THEFT SOURCES:

OPTOUT: www.optoutprescreen.com

DIRECT MARKETING ASSOCIATION: www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist

NATIONAL DO NOT CALL LIST: www.donotcall.gov

PRIVACY RIGHTS: www.privacyrights.org

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION: www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/defend.html

- Uniform fraud affidavit form: www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/affidavit.pdf

- ID Theft guide: www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/idtheft/idt04.pdf

U.S. POSTAL INSPECTOR: http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/

LIFELOCK: www.lifelock.com

*Document all contacts (Ask for names, make notes including times and dates, phone extensions, etc.

**Under California law, when you provide a copy of the police report to the credit bureaus, they must remove the fraudulent accounts from your credit report (California Civil Code 1785.16 (k)).

***The FACTA law enables you to receive a free credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus (FCRA 612). This is over and above the free reports you can order when you place fraud alerts on your three credit reports.

**** The majority of information regarding identity theft sources was taken directly from www.privacyrights.org

*****This is not a definitive guide to identity theft. The author assumes no liability for information used therein and is provided as informational purposes only. All trade names, copyrights, etc. are sole property of the business entities identified.