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| PLUMSTED |
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TOWNSHIP |
Pride in Plumsted, the State's
Center
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PLUMSTED POLICE
IDENTITY THEFT |
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| IDENTITY THEFT
A DIFFERENT KIND OF THEFT |
The Plumsted Police Department
recognizes that our residents may be the targets of Identity Theft. Criminals
have found that it is very lucrative to use other people's identity to create
credit, make purchases and defraud the innocent. Because of this problem we
offer the following tips and suggestions.
Where do Thieves Find Your
Information?
Both professional and amateur thieves use various sources.
When they use your information it becomes profitable for them. Identity thieves
average $20,000 to $30,000 a victim. They obtain your information by stealing
it from you mailbox, finding discarded credit card bills, receipts from the
trash, they look over your shoulder while your at the ATM, they call on the
phone and pose as police officers and businesses, and they search the new
internet and hack their ways into personal information.
Who are these
thieves?
Unfortunately, many are known to their victims. In many
instances they are close family members or friends. Some are sophisticated
rings that take in millions of dollars each year. State Police and FBI agencies
investigate these types of thieves. Some are caretakers who gain trust and
authorization to bank accounts and personal information. Mothers, Fathers,
Sisters, Aunts and Cousins have all been defendants in these types of cases.
CREDIT CARDS
Credit and charge card frauds cost cardholder s
and lenders millions of dollars each year. While it is not always possible to
prevent credit card fraud from occurring, there are a few simple steps that
will make it more difficult for someone to obtain your information.
- Sign your card immediately upon receiving it.
- Carry your cards separately from your Wallet or
purse.
- Keep a record of account numbers, contact
numbers and addresses in a secure place, preferably a lock box or safe deposit
box.
- Watch your card closely during purchases.
- Save and compare your receipts with billing
statements.
- Void and destroy carbons and incorrect
receipts.
- Report any questionable activity to the card
issuer and police immediately.
- Never provide account information over the
phone. Be especially careful of cell phones and wireless phones. Thieves can
listen in on your conversation with an inexpensive scanner available at local
electronics stores.
- If a caller asks for your credit card number to
verify a free vacation or other gift, hang up. Your number may be used to
charge purchases by phone.
- Make sure you know the charges before calling a
900 number. Most 800 numbers are free-900 numbers aren't.
- Be very suspicious if you receive a collect
call from someone who says he's a law-enforcement officer with emergency
information about a family member, requesting your phone card number to charge
the call. Other variations of this scam include a telephone company
investigator checking a system failure, or any FCC official investigating a
complaint.
- Ask for a financial reports if a caller
requests a charitable donation. Be wary of "sound alike" charities that use
similar names and variations of names. Be specifically aware of charities
claiming to represent police, fire and emergency services and their
organizations. These agencies do not normally solicit by phone.
When in doubt- call your local Police
Department.
- Check your credit history regularly for any
suspicious or unknown activity.
CHECKS
- Do not carry your checks if possible.
- Take only the amount of checks you need
- Destroy old checks. Even though the account may
be closed, identifying information including names, addresses, phone numbers,
and even driver's license numbers are often on the checks.
- Check you bank statement immediately. Notify
the bank of any questionable activity and balance your checkbook.
- When ordering new checks, pick them up at the
bank instead of having them mailed to your home.
- Keep a list of bank account numbers available
in a safe place. Should your checks ever be stolen you will need the
information to close the account.
- Close your checking account immediately upon
discovering fraud.
- Notify the police and your banking institution
of the fraud. Somebody stole my identity
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
- Call the Police!
- Provide police investigators the information
they will need to assist you.
- Cancel credit cards, close bank accounts, and
notify the institutions that you have credit with.
- Immediately contact the creditors who approved
the credit. Follow up with a written letter and keep a receipt of the notice.
- Contac the fraud department of the major credit
bureaus.
- Ask to have a flag placed on your record,
requiring creditors to contact you before approving additional credit using
your name.
- Contact your employer if appropriate.
- Keep copies of all letters and document phone
calls. Request a letter from agencies that states these items are under
investigation.
- Contact your attorney. Depending on the amount
of money involved and the particular situation, you may require legal
representation and assistance in clearing your good name.
- REMAIN CALM. BE PATIENT.
These types of investigations take time. Many
are never solved. Investigators will many times have to sort through lengthy
paperwork to determine who did this. The sooner you are aware of the fraud, the
sooner investigators can stop the act.
POINTS OF CONTACT
Plumsted Police
Department
2 Cedar St.
New Egypt, NJ 08533
609-758-7185 |
Equifax
www.equifax.com
Report Fraud
1-800-525-6285
Order Credit Report 1-800-685-1111 |
Experian
www.experian.com
Report Fraud
1-888-397-3742
Order Credit Report 1-888-397-3742 |
Trans Union
www.tuc.com
Report Fraud
1-800-680-7289
Order Credit Report 1-800-916-8800 |
Social Security
Fraud Hotline 1-800-269-0271 |
Federal Trade
Commission
www.consumer.gov/idtheft
Consumer Issues 1-877-382-4357 ID
Theft 1-877-438-4338 |
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