Capt. Craig S. Adelman, Commanding Officer, 100th Police Precinct
1. Best Practices To Prevent Identity Theft:
a) Social Security numbers need to be safeguarded. A person’s social security number allows access too many aspects of a person’s life; it is probably the most desirable piece of information for criminals. Never provide your Social Security number unless you are 100% confident that the information is going to a legitimate, reputable organization. When possible, ask to use other types of identifiers instead. Do not carry your Social Security card or anything with your Social Security number on it in your wallet or purse. Do not print your Social Security number on personal checks.
b) Safeguard personal information in your home. Serious consideration should be given to the manner in which birth certificates, social security cards/numbers, credit card and banking statements are stored. If using a bank safe deposit box is not practical, the crime prevention section recommends the purchase of a fire proof safe that can be discreetly secured in an area of the home other than the bedroom. Note, bedroom areas are a likely target for a burglar.
c) Monitor bank and credit card statements regularly, checking for any suspicious activity, such as withdrawals or purchases you didn’t make. If you don’t receive paper statements, make sure you are using online banking to check your statements often. The more frequently you are checking your accounts, the quicker you would catch the theft and contain the possible damage.
d) Shred documents that have personal information on it, like past account statements and pre-approved credit card offers that don’t interest you. Consider calling 1-888-5-OptOut or visiting www.optoutprescreen.com to be removed from any future mailing lists for those types of offers.
e) Sign all credit cards with a Sharpie so your signature can't be erased and written over. Never leave the signature panel blank, a thief can sign your name in a blank signature box. Destroy your expired credit cards before discarding.
f) Program the 1-800 numbers of your credit card companies into your cell phone, do not program your account numbers, in the event of a loss or theft you will be able to immediately notify the credit card company. Also email yourself these numbers in the event your cell phone is also lost or stolen.
g) ATM usage, when using an ATM, a gas pump, a card swipe machine (supermarket, department store) or any other public debit or credit machine, make sure to keep an eye on the people around you to ensure they’re not “shoulder surfing” or watching you as you enter in your PIN number. Also make sure you take any receipts with you when you are finished with your transaction. Be on the lookout for any unusual equipment on the ATM to ensure a skimming device has not been attached. Cover the keyboard while entering your PIN so that it cannot be recorded by a hidden camera or seen by someone close by.
h) Mail service; place any outgoing mail containing personally identifying information in a post office collection box or at the post office, rather than in an unsecured mailbox. And make sure you get your mail every day. Consider contacting your bank, credit card provider and other companies that send you bills and request switching to paperless billing. If you’re planning to be away from home and have no one that can pick up your mail for you, contact the U.S. Postal Service to request a vacation hold.
i) Internet transactions, whether you’re shopping, banking or paying bills, you need to make sure that the information you share online is secure and won’t be shared with anyone else. Anytime you are about to share personal information, such as your Social Security number, credit card information or bank account number, make sure the site is secure by looking for two things: a yellow lock in the lower right-hand corner of your browser and the “s” on the end of http: in the URL line of your browser. If you don’t see these, find someplace else to shop.
j) Phishing; the activity of defrauding an online account holder of financial information by posing as a legitimate company.Avoid phishing scams by never providing personal information to any person or company that initiates contact with you. Only provide information to people or companies that you have contacted directly. Beware of emails and phone calls requesting personal information from you, even if the source of the request is a person or company with which you are familiar. Identity thieves may pose as representatives of banks, internet service providers, or government agencies to get you to reveal your Social Security number, account numbers and other identifying information.
k) If you share a computer with a roommate, or use a computer at a library or computer lab, make sure you “clear all cookies” when you are finished using the computer and always make sure you log out and delete your log in from the computer’s memory.
l) Keep financial information on your laptop or smartphone only when necessary. Don’t use an automatic login feature that saves your user name and password, and always log off when you’re finished. That way, if your laptop or smartphone is stolen, it will be harder for a thief to get at your personal information.
m) Social Networking, don’t over-share on social networking sites. If you post too much information aboutyourself, an identity thief can find information about your life, use it to answer ‘challenge’ questions on your accounts, and get access to your money and personal information. Consider limiting access to your networking page to a small group of people. Never post your full name, Social Security number, address, phone number, or account numbers in publicly accessible sites.
n) Credit Monitoring, The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. You may order your reports from each of the credit reporting companies at the same time, or you can order your report from each of the companies one at a time. To order a free report you may visit annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. Or you may complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Do not contact the three nationwide credit reporting companies individually.
o) Consider enrolling in a consumer reporting companies that offers credit monitoring services. These services track your credit report, and generally send you an email about recent activity, like an inquiry or new account. The more frequent or more detailed the report, the more expensive the service.
p) Unattended Property, creates an easy opportunity for a thief, never leave your personal items such as purse, wallet, cell phone or other electronic devices unattended. Restaurants, night clubs, cafes are common locations for thefts of personal items.
q) If you are a victim of credit card theft or if personal financial information is stolen, contact your banking institution and put a fraud alert on your bank account(s.)
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