Identity Theft and Safety Tips to help prevent Identify Theft…

March 23, 2009 ID theft, scams are up in region Hard times may spur trend to persist By Rasheed Oluwa Poughkeepsie Journal Consumer fraud and identity theft complaints in the Poughkeepsie, Newburgh and Kingston areas took a big jump from 2007 to 2008, according to a report issued by the Federal Trade Commission. Local officials believe that trend is likely to continue as the economy struggles and criminals continue to find new ways to rip people off. “I think the economy does have a lot do with this,” said Patrick Long, senior consumer advocate for the Ulster County Consumer Fraud Bureau. “There are more scams going on out there. We are trying to educate folks about all the different types of scams out there – from telemarketing to home improvement.” The Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Middletown Metropolitan Statistical area had fraud complaints rise from 1,312 in 2007 to 2,256 in 2008. The Kingston Metropolitan Statistical Area had fraud complaints jump from 472 in 2007 to 847 in 2008. As far as identity-theft complaints went, the Poughkeepsie metro area had a 12 percent increase from 612 in 2007 to 687 in 2008. Identity-theft complaints in the Kingston area increased from 191 in 2007 to 214 in 2008. The state had 67,643 identity theft and consumer fraud complaints in 2008, up from 46,538 in 2007. Long said his departments had already received 114 fraud complaints as of March 11. His department had about 85 at the same time last year. Nelson Kranker, director of the Dutchess County Department of Consumer Affairs, said his department did not have information on the number of calls they’ve received this year. Kranker said his department tries to do outreach to certain segments of the population, such as the elderly, who may fall victim to various scams. “What happens in many cases is that people who are having financial problems are more susceptible to these types of fraudulent scams,” Kranker said. “They’ll get a phone call offering them ways to improve their credit scores, and they may be more desperate.” Kranker said identity theft can be difficult to resolve because it can cross jurisdictions. Tom Mauro, chief of the Poughkeepsie town police department, said his officers deal with identity theft on a steady basis. The cases range from the victims having their information stolen from their computer through some sort of file sharing program to more traditional forms of identity theft, such as people having their credit cards stolen. If the case involves money taken from a local bank, the town police department handles it. But, if the case moves to another jurisdiction, it is forwarded to the appropriate federal organization, Mauro said. Mauro said the cases are usually tough, because the crimes can take place anywhere and are hard to track. “These cases are extremely time consuming, and you need to have a dedicated level of computer access and training,” Mauro said. “We do everything we can at this level, but at the same time, some of these frauds are being perpetrated outside the U.S.” Tami Nealy, director of public affairs for LifeLock, said part of the problem is there aren’t enough training opportunities for law enforcement agencies at the local level. LifeLock is an identity theft protection company based in Arizona. Nealy said more private companies might need to come together to tackle the issues as a whole in the wake of decreasing government funding streams. “This has become an epidemic,” Nealy said. “But it isn’t a violent crime, so we haven’t seen the same level of resource to local law enforcement.” Additional Facts Avoiding ID theftHere are tips from the Federal Trade Commission to help consumers protect themselves from credit and charge card fraud. • Sign your cards as soon as they arrive. • Carry your cards separately from your wallet, in a zippered compartment, a business card holder or another small pouch. • Keep a record of your account numbers, expiration dates and phone number and address of each company in a secure place. • Keep an eye on your card during the transaction and get it back as quickly as possible. • Void incorrect receipts. • Save receipts to compare with billing statements. • Open bills promptly and reconcile accounts monthly, just as you would your checking account. • Report any questionable charges promptly and in writing to the card issuer. • Notify card companies in advance of a change in address.