Protecting yourself from identity theft requires vigilance

  • Published
  • By Capt. Ed Sanok
  • Base Legal Office
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. By stealing a person's identity, thieves can steal more money than those people have. What's more, the victim will probably never have the chance to see the thief. 

Identity theft primarily occurs through the compromise of important documents, such as bank statements, credit card statements or social security numbers. By obtaining those documents, the thief may be able to adopt the new identity and apply for credit cards in the victim's name. 

Once they do that, they can run up massive debt on those cards, and they'll never pay them off. In the end, the victim is left with the bill for the thousands of dollars. If the credit card companies don't know the charges were fraudulent, they may even try to sue for the massive debt. 

One way thieves are able to steal information is by stealing things like bank statements and credit card statements from a mailbox. Thieves have also been known to dig through trash for important information. This information may also be obtained from a stolen wallet or purse. 

The best way to avoid becoming a victim is protecting oneself before the theft occurs. There are several easy options available. For one thing, never ever keep a social security card in a wallet or purse. Keep it safeguarded at home, and only use it for tax purposes, such as showing it to an employer when starting a new job or when preparing taxes. 

Electronic bank statements and credit card statements are also an effective way to prevent thieves from stealing them from a mailbox or the trash. Those who receive paper copies of credit card statements or bank statements should shred them before throwing them away. 

Also, several companies offer credit-monitoring services that alert their customers as soon as a creditor informs the credit bureaus that someone has tried to open a credit account in the customer's name. 

Consumers can also add a fraud alert message to his or her credit report to help protect credit information. Fraud alert messages notify potential credit grantors to verify a customer's identification before extending credit in his or her name in case someone is using the information without consent. A fraud alert can be placed on accounts by contacting one of the main three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. 

It's recommended that everyone reviews a copy of his or her personal credit report. If information in a credit report is believed to be inaccurate due to identity theft or fraud, consumers should contact the credit reporting agency for assistance from a representative specially trained in consumer credit fraud. 

If someone has misused your Social Security number or other personal information to create credit or other problems for you, you should contact the Federal Trade Commission for help. You can contact the Federal Trade Commission by: 

· Internet-- www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft
· Telephone-- 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338)
· TTY-- 1-866-653-4261 

Identity theft is similar to, but not the same as, credit and debit card theft. Credit card theft involves someone stealing a credit card or debit card numbers and making charges to the account that were never authorized. 

Someone can do that by actually stealing the card, by writing down the card numbers on a separate sheet of paper, or making a duplicate of the card. For that reason, it's important to monitor credit card and bank statements frequently to identify unauthorized charges. 

If there are unauthorized charges on the account, victims should alert their credit card companies or bank so that they can stop more unauthorized charges from being made. Theose companies may require a police report filed with local law enforcement. 

There are several ways to protect against credit and debit card theft - the easiest way to is to use cash. Thieves can't steal a card they never see. Consumers inclined to use a card should use a credit card. 

By federal law, once you report loss or theft, your liability to the loss or theft is limited to $50. 

Consumers don't enjoy that same protection with a debit card. In fact, those who don't file the proper paperwork with the bank, which is more difficult overseas due to the speed of mail, will remain liable for the fraudulent charges even though the fraud was reported. Also, by using cash, consumers can limit their spending, since they can't spend more than they have in their pockets. 

When using a credit or debit card consumers should never let the card leave their sight. Don't let someone run the card in another room. If someone tries to do that, the police should be alerted that there is possible credit card theft occurring at the location. 

Finally, there has been a problem in England recently with ATM card theft. Thieves have been placing sophisticated devices on ATM card readers to be able to make duplicates of ATM cards. ATM machines that appear out of the ordinary or appear to have been tampered with should be avoided. 

With vigilance, the risk of identity theft can be greatly reduced.