BY MARY JANE FARMER
HERALD DEMOCRAT
"It's my car and I shouldn't have to lock it," said one woman after calling law enforcement to report her purse had been stolen from her parked car. The victim may be, ethically, right, but also could be considered naive in today's times. Texas is second highest in the nation in reported cases of identity theft, and the possibilities are strong that this victim could become yet another statistic in that ever-growing number.
Education and application of that knowledge is the best weapon people have to avoid becoming ID theft victims. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott defined identity theft as "the illegal use of another person's personally-identifying information, including name, address, driver's license number, Social Security number, credit or debit card numbers, bank routing and account numbers, or other financial information to commit fraud or other crimes."
Loss of cash isn't the only loss. Abbott said in a press release that victims sometimes miss job opportunities, or are denied loans for housing, education or cars because of negative information on their credit reports.
An identity thief may rent an apartment under an assumed name, obtain a credit card with their victim's credit, or establish a telephone account after stealing someone else's personal information
Grayson and Fannin county residents are not excepted from being targeted, as even Grayson County Sheriff Keith Gary found out several years ago. An investigation and resulting arrests included the seizure of a well-kept notebook listing a multitude of people's names, addresses, credit card numbers and other ID information. Sheriff's Office detectives tracked that ID theft down to a purchase the sheriff had made months earlier at a restaurant which had since closed down. Gary said he had paid with his credit card. Where the thieves obtained his information was from a chit the restaurant had retained of that transaction, then stuffed into a huge trash bag along with thousands of others, and stored for "safe-keeping." The thieves had availed themselves of that trash bag. In this instance, they had not yet "sold" or used the sheriff's ID. Still, he had to have all account numbers canceled and re-issued.
Technology becomes more sophisticated and less expensive almost on a daily basis, giving white-color criminals more reason to jump out of bed, more excited about their new day's work than even the day before. It also means the public needs to keep itself armed with knowledge and common sense.
First, just knowing how identities can be stolen is an advantage for potential victims. The OAG established a Web site, www.texasfightsidtheft.gov, which includes not only prevention information, but also an Identity Theft Victim's Kit, which offers a step-by-step checklist for people to use to prevent further damage.
E-mail -- Trying to obtain personal information through the illegal use of an e-mail is known as 'phishing.' Crooks continually blast official-looking e-mails to hundreds of thousands of addresses each day. Believing the e-mail is from a reputable company, the unsuspecting consumer provides account numbers, passwords, and other personal information which is then used to fraudulently open new accounts or access existing ones.
Telephones -- The crooks know how to set up toll-free numbers that make it appear as though they are legitimate, even on phones with caller id. They call homes, sometimes with sensible-sounding reasons, requesting banking or credit card information.
ATMs -- Crooks may be lurking in line behind you at the ATM machine. They may have tiny cameras installed to capture your account and personal identification number. Or, they may even place a plastic strip over the area where you slide your card. This strip can catch your private information and allow the thief to create a new card and access your account.
Theft -- Some crooks pluck trash bags out of garbage cans, shuffling through the debris until they happen upon, for instance, a bank statement or credit card bill. Guess what, they have everything they need to get started. Burglarizing cars of purses and wallets left inside them or of homes left unsecured almost always nets an ID thief a prize. Sometimes the identification or credit cards the criminals receive prove more profitable in the long run than the $200 cash they obtained in the theft.
Scams -- Whether you won the Zippity-do-dah lottery, which you can collect after paying several thousands in taxes; someone died in LaLaLand and left $75 million dollars, which must be smuggled out of LaLaLand and that can only be done with your help; or your bank just happens to need (via e-mail or telephone) your account number, of course just to verify its accuracy, remember that what everyone wants is your identification. Don't be foolish.
Protection
Be sensible. Lock your car, even if just running into the convenience store to pay for your gasoline. Righteous indignation is not a viable shield against thieves.
Shred, shred, shred -- Whitesboro Police Chief Scott Taylor strongly recommends the home use of shredders, even the cross-shredders that work in both directions.
Check your credit report every four months from a different bureau. Abbott's office suggests going to www.annualcreditreport.com to access your account, but even that has to be done cautiously. "There are more than 100 bogus Web sites intent on deceiving you into providing your personal information for their illicit use," Abbott said.
Statements -- Likewise, go over your bank and credit card statements with the proverbial fine tooth comb. Question any discrepancies.
A Texas Star Bank officer added that it helps tremendously to check your checking account online daily, and if suspicious withdrawals show up, call the bank immediately. Debit, or bank cards, can be duplicated and used, and the sooner a victim learns about it, the less damage can be done.
Write fewer checks -- Taylor advises that people use their bank debit card more and leave fewer handwritten checks along the path. That condenses the number of people who have access to all the critical information, printed or handwritten on checks used to make purchases. Some stores, he said, no longer even accept paper checks, insisting instead on debit or credit cards. "It doesn't hurt to change your PIN from time to time," Taylor said.
Shield -- When entering that PIN, cup your hand to protect the number from hidden cameras or 20-20 vision.
Report ID thefts -- Should you become a victim, by all means file a police report, which Abbott said may be needed to confirm the theft. Also, he added, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov, as they track the frequency of identity theft. Also, if you become a victim, utilize the Identify Theft Victim's Kit on the OAG's Web site, which walks you through cancellation of credit cards and bank accounts, plus even utility and service accounts. It's a lot of work, but less work if done immediately after discovering the ID theft.
Father knows best -- What you need to know you probably learned from your parents. Fannin County Sheriff Kenneth Moore said, "As the old saying goes, 'If it looks and sounds too good to be true, then it usually is!'"
Taylor said that being pro-active is critical in protecting your identifying information. Identity theft is a serious crime, the fastest-growing crime in America.