Winslow woman’s “identity” stolen — how safe are you?

“On February 1st, my grandmother received a letter in the name of Estelle Cunningham of Maple Street. It was from a credit bureau. The collection agency originally tried to find Grandma there, but then tried the other address they had for her.”

This time, Chip Cunningham said, the second salesman, the one he’d believed to be innocent, was the suspect. He’d used Esta’s Social Security Number to obtain credit, and the balance due was $786.72.

Detective Miller with the Winslow Police Department spoke with the Winslow Mail about ways a person can protect him or herself from identity fraud.

“The very first thing I would suggest to people is to go out and buy a paper shredder. Any documents containing personal information, such as bank statements and credit card bills should be shredded after they have been used for whatever purpose people need them for.” Miller said that the number one way criminals obtain personal information is by taking these kinds of documents from trash receptacles.

But a criminal doesn’t have to go to that extent to obtain personal inforamtion. “Arizona made a big mistake when it went to using Social Security Numbers on drivers licenses,” Miller added. He advised that people return their licenses to the Department of Motor Vehicles and obtain a new card with an Operator’s License Number on it.

Further, SSNs should not be put on the top of checks. “Every one who handles that check, from the check out clerk, through the office, etc., has access to that number. Instead, one could put an Operator’s License Number at the top.”

Criminals have also devised elaborate schemes to obtain personal information from people over the phone. One recent scam involved telephone calls from people claiming to be a utility provider. “Somehow people obtained information who were late on paying a bill,” Miller said. “They would be asked if they would like to receive an extension on a bill, and then be asked to provide their Social Security numbers (SSN) for verification.”

If anyone calls asking for a Social Security number or other personal information, Miller advised taking the phone number of the caller and call back to verify that the caller is legitimate. If someone represent himself to be with a utility, one should verify with the service company locally that the caller is indeed a true provider, Miller said. One should never give out their SSN or birth date over the phone without that verification.

When asked to give this type of information, Miller advised that individuals should look at how important the service is. For example, if one applies for a video club account and is asked to provide an SSN and birth date, one might want to rethink if he or she needs the service from that provider.

“Another big problem is when people use their credit card in stores and restaurants. People entrust the clerk to tear up carbon copies. Don’t trust that the clerk will destroy these for you—that’s a major misconception that can really hurt you,” Miller said.

One should be cautious with personal information. If one is paying for a purchase at a grocery store with a debit card, one should cover the pad with one hand while keying in a PIN number. Miller also suggests that one covers the personal information on a check while writing it if other people are in line behind them.

Purchasing over the World Wide Web has also created avenues for identity theft, Miller pointed out.

“If you believe you have been the victim of identity fraud, gather all of the paperwork and information and bring it down to the Police Department,” Miller said.

The SSA provides up-to-date information about steps you can take to work with credit bureaus and law enforcement agencies to reclaim your identity. In some cases individuals will be provided with a new Social Security Number. The SSA provides a fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271. The Federal Trade Commission also provides a fraud hotline at 1-877-438-4338 (IDTHEFT).

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