Identity Theft

1
Identity Theft

• Presented by
• Detective Cindi Grein
• Northglenn Police Department

2
What is Identity Theft?

• Identity theft is when someone obtains some piece
  of your sensitive information and uses it without
  your permission to commit fraud or theft.

3
Statistics

• According to 2 studies done in July 2003,
  approximately 7 million people became victims of
  identity theft in the prior 12 months. That
  equals 19,178 per day, 799 per hour or 13.3 per
  minute.
• Colorado ranks 5th nationally in identity theft
  and 6th in fraud complaints.
• The incidence of victimization increased 80
  between 2002 and 2003 and nearly half of the
  people surveyed felt they didnt know how to
  adequately protect themselves from this crime.

4
(No Transcript)
5
(No Transcript)
6
Financial Impact

• Victims now spend an average of 600 hours and
  1400 in out of pocket expenses recovering from
  this crime.
• While the victim suffers from these losses, the
  business community loses between 40,000 and
  92,000 per name in fraudulent charges.
• (Using the low end of these amounts, the total
  loss to businesses for one hour would be
  31,960,000)

7
Emotional Impact

• The emotional impact on victims is likened to
  that felt by victims of more violent crime.
• Some victims feel dirty, defiled, ashamed and
  embarrassed, and undeserving of assistance.
• Others report a split with a significant other or
  spouse and of being unsupported by family
  members.

8
How do thieves get your information?

• Through businesses or other institutions by
  stealing your records or information while the
  thief is on the job, bribing an employee who has
  access to the records, hacking the records or
  conning information out of employees.
• Stealing your mail or filling out a change of
  address to divert your mail to another location
• Rummaging through your trash or the trash of a
  business looking for your personal information.
• Stealing credit reports by abusing their
  employers authorized access or by posing as a
  landlord, employer or someone who has a legal
  right to access your report.

9

• Stealing your credit or debit card numbers by
  capturing the information in a data storage
  device. The thief may do this while scanning
  your card for an actual purchase or by attaching
  a device an ATM machine.
• Stealing your wallet or purse
• Stealing your personal information from your home
  whether the thief is in your home legally or
  illegally.
• Stealing personal information directly from you
  through email or by telephone posing as a
  legitimate company and claiming they have a
  problem with your account.

10
What is personal information used for?

• Making charges on your credit card accounts.
• Opening new credit card accounts in your name.
• Establishing telephone or wireless services in
  your name.
• Opening bank accounts and writing bad checks on
  that account.
• Making counterfeit checks or credit or debit
  cards or authorizing electronic transfers in your
  name, draining your bank account.
• Filing for bankruptcy in your name.
• Buying a car or taking out an auto loan in your
  name.
• Getting identification such as a drivers license
  in your name with their picture.
• Giving your name to the police during an arrest
  or traffic stop. When the thief doesnt show up
  for court, a warrant can be issued for your
  arrest.

11
(No Transcript)
12
Tips to avoid identity theft

• If your mailbox doesnt have a lock, put one on.
  Dont send mail from your curbside mailbox. Drop
  all mail at the post office or use the blue
  mailboxes placed around the city.
• Consider renting a PO Box at your local post
  office or mail service providers.
• Invest in a good paper shredder, preferably a
  cross-cut type.
• Never give ANY financial details over the phone,
  unless you initiated the call.
• Never give and unknown solicitor your credit card
  number or check.

13

• Consider changing your phone number to an
  unlisted number or joining the no call list.
• Never store you PIN number or passwords near your
  credit cards/debit cards or account details.
  Many companies wont cover losses if you do!
• Dont use credit cards in restaurants or other
  places where your card can be taken away from
  your sight for even a minute.
• Never leave your purse, briefcase, laptop
  computer, wallet or personal identifying
  information in your car. By leaving your items
  in plain sight you make yourself an easy target.
• Purchase insurance which protects and helps
  restore your credit history in the event you are
  victimized. (Many credit card companies and
  Pre-paid Legal offer this service.)

14
What to do if you be come a victim.

• Act quickly. Keep a record with details of
  conversations and copies of all correspondence.
• Contact one of the three consumer reporting
  companies to place a fraud alert and review your
  credit reports. (All three companies share
  information so you only have to contact ONE.)
• Consumer reporting companies
• Equifax 1-800-525-6285 www.equifax.com
• Experian 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com
• TransUnion 1-800-680-7289 www.transunion.com
• Two types of fraud alerts
• An initial alert stays in place for 90 days which
  is used if you suspect you are a victim of
  identity theft.
• An extended alert stays in place for 7 years
  which is used if you have been victimized.

15

• Close accounts you know, or believe, have been
  tampered with or opened fraudulently. Some banks
  might not be happy about closing accounts but be
  persistent.
• File a police report in the community where the
  identity theft took place.
• If your credit/debit card is lost or stolen,
  report it immediately. The amount you can be
  held responsible for depends on how quickly you
  report the loss.
• If your checks or counterfeit checks with your
  account information are used, contact the major
  check verification companies.
• Telecheck 1-800-710-9898 or 1-800-927-0188
• Certegy Inc 1-800-437-5120
• To find out if an identity thief or thieves are
  passing bad checks in your name call SCAN.
• SCAN 1-800-262-7771

16
Resources

• IFCC (International Fraud Complaint Center) -
  www.ifccfbi.gov
• FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
  www.consumer.gov/idtheft
• Consumer reporting companies
• Equifax 1-800-525-6285 www.equifax.com
• Experian 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com
• TransUnion 1-800-680-7289 www.transunion.com
• SSA (Social Security Administration)
  1-800-269-0271 www.ssa.gov/pubs/idtheft.htm
• DOJ (Department of Justice) - www.usdoj.gov/crimin
  al/fraud/idtheft.html
• If you need additional assistance
• Detective Cindi Grein
• Northglenn Police Department
• 303-450-8856 cgrein_at_northglenn.org