Several identity
theft cases reported by PTC residents; police urge caution
MUNFORD
Three cases
of identity fraud have been reported to the Peachtree City Police Department
in the past two weeks.
In one case,
an elderly woman was notified that someone ordered over $400 in merchandise
through a company in her name. In another, a man reported that someone
had attempted to open a money market account in his name.
Another man
has reported that someone used his personal information to open several
accounts without his permission.
The days of
trusting someone with your personal information are over, said Peachtree
City Police Chief James Murray. With the advent of shopping on the Internet,
it is becoming easier for criminals to access information they can use
to commit fraud with your name.
"It can
turn into a nightmare," Murray said.
The chief recommended
that residents particularly be careful in disposing credit card applications
that come in the mail. Shredding those and other documents with personal
information on them helps protect that information from falling into the
wrong hands.
"People
will go in the trash to get that information," the chief warned.
It's also important
to protect personal identification numbers and never give them out on
the phone to solicitors, Murray added.
"We also
urge people to follow up with the credit bureaus to see if their information
is correct," Murray said, adding that credit bureaus offer one free
report annually to Georgia residents.
Credit reports
may be sought from the following agencies:
Equifax, P.O.
Box 105873, Atlanta, Ga., 30348-2493 (1-800-997-2493)
Experian Information
Solutions (formerly TRW), P.O. Box 949, Allen, Tex., 75013-0949 (1-888-397-3742)
TransUnion,
P.O. Box 390, Springfield, Penn., 19064-0390 (1-800-916-8800)
The U.S. Postal
Inspection Service and the financial industry have also published a list
of recommendations to help prevent identity fraud:
Promptly remove
mail from your mailbox after delivery.
Deposit outgoing
mail in collection mailboxes or at the post office instead of unsecured
mailboxes.
Shred credit
card receipts, bills and other financial information you don't want before
discarding it in the trash.
Don't carry
extra credit cards and ID cards or cancel the ones you don't use.
Never leave
receipts at bank machines, bank counters, trash receptacles or unattended
gasoline pumps.
Save all credit
card receipts and match them against your monthly bills.
Contact companies
if financial statements are not timely received in the mail.
Report all
lost or stolen credit cards immediately.
Beware of
mail or telephone solicitations disguised as promotions offering prizes
or awards that are designed solely to obtain your personal information
or credit card numbers.
Use caution
when disclosing checking account numbers, credit card numbers or other
personal financial data at any web site or online service
Beware of
con artists who may ask you to "confirm" your enrollment in
an interactive service site by disclosing passwords.
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