Credit Card Fraud / Stolen Identity
It’s growing like wildfire. And it’s one of the easiest crimes to get away with, for now…. And it not only CAN happen to you, but it probably WILL happen to you sooner or later. My department is getting a rash of incidents involving credit card fraud and stolen identity cases. We cover this topic in greater detail in our book CopTalk but I’ll touch on some important safeguards and tips.
First off, shred ALL information regarding credit card, checking, or banking information that you throw away. You’d be amazed how many people go through your trash looking for this type of information while you are asleep or away. If you are like me, you get numerous offers in the mail offering credit cards. If you throw them away intact, someone can obtain a pre-approved credit card in your name with very little trouble. You probably wouldn’t know it until you got the first bill. You probably wont be liable for the charges, but it will be a nightmare straightening out your credit again.
Never give out credit card information to anyone you don’t know. If someone calls you requesting credit card or bank information, or ask for your social security number, make sure who know whom you are talking to. Some people use ploys such as claiming to be bank personnel or credit card representatives, and ask you for your personal information to verify your account. Once they have your information, they can make charges on your account. If you are not sure if a caller is legitimate, ask for a call back number or ask to speak to a supervisor. Most crooks won’t give you their call back number. If you feel uncomfortable giving out personal information, then don’t.
Fraudulent charges to credit cards are going rampant. Anywhere you use a credit card or debit card, someone has access to your credit card information. We are getting lots of cases now involving the Internet. All people need to place orders on the Internet is your credit card number, expiration date, and your name. All easily obtained by crooks looking through your trash or crooked store clerks.
When I go to a store and use my debit card its amazing how many clerks run the purchase through without asking to see a picture ID. No confirmation whatever to see if its actually my card or not. My friend started printing “See ID†in the space that you’re supposed to sign on the back of the credit cards. He says this makes the clerks check for his ID instead of just comparing a signature. Not a bad idea.
Check ALL of your credit card bills as soon as you receive them. Don’t let them sit for a week or two before opening them. If someone starts making charges on your account, you want to catch it as soon as possible.
If you do find a charge in question on your bill, call the credit card company immediately to see if it is a fraudulent charge. Sometimes you might have forgotten about a charge you made, and sometimes there might be an error on your bill. Whatever the case, find out immediately to make sure that someone has not stolen your information and is out enjoying shopping at your expense.
If your information is stolen and used, inform your bank or credit card company immediately. The sooner you catch it, the fewer hassles you will have trying to straighten it out. Same goes for stolen or lost credit cards. Report them immediately so the account can be frozen.
Check fraud is also becoming increasingly popular. Crooks steal mail from mailboxes and keep the checks that are being mailed out. They can put a chemical on the ink and it erases the payee you originally made the check out to. The crook fills in an AKA name (or some dumb crooks use their real name) and suddenly they have extra cash courtesy of you. And with the photo quality of printers and copiers nowadays, crooks can make quality fraudulent copies of your checks.
To prevent this, don’t put outgoing bills in the mailbox overnight or as you leave for work in the morning. That little red flag you raise on your mailbox to let the mailman know you have outgoing mail is also a beacon for the thieves. Thieves look for this and cruise through neighborhoods grabbing mail. You read occasionally about how a police officer stops a car for some reason and thousands of pieces of mail are found in the suspect’s car. It happens every night, but only a few are caught. Take all of your outgoing bills with you and drop them off at the post office or at a corner postal mailbox. They are much more secure there.
There are lots more things you can do to protect yourself from credit card fraud or identity theft but these are just a few tips to help you protect yourself. Crooks are constantly coming up with new ways to get freebies and rip you off. Straightening out your credit history after someone has ruined it is a nightmare. It’s something that usually takes up a lot of your time and effort. That’s why it is so important to catch any fraud as soon as it happens.
But prevention is the best solution. Be careful with your personal information and check your bills regularly. Don’t give crooks the opportunity to make you a victim. If you are a hard target, they will pass you up for an easier victim.
The NetCops staff
