Police Offer Tips To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

Identity theft and fraud incidents are increasing in the area, according to .

"The cases of identity theft are increasing all the time," said Sgt. Christopher Lunn. "It is a crime that is very difficult to prosecute because most of the time it is done over a computer or in a different state than where the victim lives."

According to Lunn, the police department has received several complaints in the last few weeks from residents who were reporting incidents of identity theft. 

Lunn said those incidents have included bank accounts being accessed and money withdrawn by unauthorized people and credit cards accounts being accessed and used to make unauthorized purchases. 

"The residents who reported their credit card accounts being accessed also reported that they were still in possession of their credit cards," said Lunn.

Follow some of these simple steps that Lunn offers to help protect yourself against identity theft:

1. Secure birth certificates, social security cards, passports, and credit cards (when not in use) in a safe deposit box or in a safe hidden at home.

2. Beware of seemingly innocent personal facts that you post online. For example, never list your full date of birth or even correct date of birth on Facebook or any other social networking website. And don’t list your home address or telephone number on any website you use for personal or business reasons, including job search sites.

3. Follow your credit card billing cycles closely. Check your statements for suspicious charges. Watch for charges of less than a dollar or two from unfamiliar companies or individuals. These could be “test” charges to make sure the account is active before a theft makes a large charge on your account. If a credit card or other bill hasn’t arrived, it may mean that an identity theft has gotten hold of your account and changed your billing address.

4. If an ATM or store terminal looks funny, don’t use it.  As a general rule, the mouth of a card receptacle on an ATM machine should be flush with the machine or have a very slight lip. If it looks or feels different when you swipe your card, or has an extra piece of plastic sticking out from the card slot, it may be a skimmer, an electronic device placed there by thieves that captures your credit card information when you swipe your card.

5. Check your credit report annually. You are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months. The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report. To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281.