Strike Back at Identity Theft

By Bobbi Zane

Everyone should take steps to prevent identity theft, Postmistress Laura Lewis told a recent monthly breakfast meeting of the Julian Merchants.

The group that gathered on March 16 at the Pine Hills Lodge heard some scary stuff.

The postmistress is an authority on the subject, because most instances of identity theft involve mail fraud. Lewis, who has discussed the problem and preventive steps at meetings around Julian for several months, said several of her Julian customers have experienced the problem.

“Some of our customers deposited mail in a box in Ramona that was hit and the mail was stolen. They are still unraveling the damage caused by the perpetrators,” Lewis said. “There were five victims.

“They even put holds on their credit, but their problems are not solved. One victim had an unauthorized Web site opened in his name.”

That should convince everyone to take precautions, Lewis advised. She said senior citizens are particularly vulnerable because they tend to trust.

“But the theft hits them harder and leaves their kids having to clean up a mess,” she said, and urged urged families to look after older members.

According to Lewis, the perpetrator might use a variety of tactics to drain your finances: posing as a loan officer and ordering your credit report — which lists account numbers; “shoulder surfing” at the ATM machine to get your PIN code; diving into trash bins for credit applications, canceled checks or bank statements that you neglected to shred; or, until recently, notifying the post office to redirect your mail to a different address, such as a mail drop, which allows anonymity.

Following are some steps to take to prevent identity theft, based on Lewis’ remarks at the Merchants meeting:

• Report lost or stolen credit cards immediately.

• If you applied for a credit card and didn’t receive it when expected, call the financial institution.

• Sign new credit cards immediately — before someone else does.

• Memorize your Social Security number and passwords. Don’t use your birth date as a password on papers you carry with you.

• Never leave transaction receipts at ATM machines, on counters at financial institutions, or at gasoline pumps.

• Don’t carry your Social Security card or birth certificate; leave them in a secure location.

• Don’t disclose credit card or other financial account numbers on a Web site, unless the site offers a secure transaction.

• Closely monitor the expiration dates on credit cards and contact the issuer if you don’t receive a replacement prior to the expiration date.

• Beware of mail or telephone solicitations that offer prizes or awards, especially if the person on the other end of the line asks for personal information or account numbers. The same advice applies to e-mail requests for personal information; don’t give it out unless you initiated the request.

• Match your credit card receipts against monthly bills and check monthly financial statements for accuracy.

• Keep track of monthly statements and bills. If they don’t arrive when expected, contact the sender.