Crime Prevention Tips

Attention Residents:

Identity Theft


Some 500,00 to 700,00 Americans a year are at risk of having their identities stolen, according to government and private sector estimates. Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information and uses it to establish credit, borrow money, charge items or even commit crimes in your name.



While the incidents of internet identity theft is growing, you are still more likely to become a victim of this crime by more traditional means, by discarding mail or other paperwork that contains your personal information. Here are some tips to help prevent identity theft.



- Never respond to unsolicited requests for your social security number.

- Before discarding, shred all documents that may have any personal information on them.

- Check all credit card and bank statements for accuracy.

- Avoid easy to figure out access and (PIN) codes.

- Obtain a copy of your credit report yearly and check for accuracy.

- Use only secure sites when making online purchases. Secure pages begin with “https”.

- Pay for online purchases with a credit card to assure you get what you paid for and limit your liability.



If you become a victim of identity theft
- Notify your police department immediately and file a police report.

- Contact your bank

- Notify credit bureau fraud units.

- Place a fraud alert statement on your credit report.

- Check the post office for any unauthorized change of address requests.

- Follow up contacts with letters and keep copies of all correspondence.



For more information on fraud and identity theft click the link below.

http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html