By CARA LORELLO
Staff Reporter
Members of the Medical Lake Sheriff Community Oriented Policing Effort met on Monday with Spokane County Sheriff's Office crime prevention Deputy Greg Snyder to hear tips on preventing identity theft and remedies for victims.
In the United States, identity theft is considered a serious crime. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft occurs when someone uses personally identifying information, like names, Social Security numbers, or credit card numbers without permission to commit fraud or other crimes.
Snyder said the FTC estimates that as many as 9.9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year.
“That's just a minimum. There are plenty of people who don't report their crimes,” Snyder said.
He noted the most common identity theft victim is a middle aged individual with adequate knowledge about finance and investing. Equally savvy, he added, are the identity thieves who gain unsuspecting peoples' confidence and obtain their personal information.
As a crime, Snyder said, identity theft has been around for decades.
“But it's more prevalent now because of the digital age we live in. You can reach so many more people,” he added.
One of the most common ways people become victims is through Internet scams, technically referred to as “phishing.” Phishing occurs when thieves attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity—typically a bank—via email or instant messaging.
All thieves need to obtain to get a hold of money is a social security or bank routing number to establish phony accounts or make purchases.
Besides online scams, Snyder said local law enforcement get thieves who “dumpster dive,” rob unsecured mailboxes, or seize valuables left in cars.
Most people are unaware of these thefts until they review a credit report or card statement, or debt collectors alert them to suspicious charges, he added.
While some victims can resolve these problems quickly, others spend hundreds of dollars and lots of time repairing damage to their name and credit records.
“On average, people spend up to 175 hours fixing these things,” Snyder said. But, he added, as prevalent as identity theft is today, there are safeguards available to becoming a victim of it, and resources to help those who are.
First, Snyder suggested using common sense when it comes to doing business that concerns your finances and personal information.
“Don't do business with anyone you don't know,” he said. In the case of phishing scams, “Most reputable businesses won't ask their clients for information online or by phone,” he added.
Do frequent inspection of credit reports, Snyder suggested, at least twice annually to check for unauthorized accounts that may have been opened. Calling one of three financial institutions, Equifax, Experian, or Trans Union, can accomplish this. Callers can now request a fraud alert feature for their accounts, as many financial institutions are now required by law to develop and implement written identity theft prevention programs.
“It's more than worth the extra $12 a year,” Snyder said.
Other effective prevention tips include use of a secured mail or post office box, which are harder to gain access to for thieves. Using shredders to destroy important documents is another way to ensure personal information doesn't fall into the wrong hands. People should also never leave anything of value inside a vehicle—perhaps one of the most preventable steps to protecting one's identity.
“Most of it is just basic common sense,” Snyder said.
Citizens may learn more about identity theft and prevention by going to the FTC website, http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft/, where users may file complaints or report things such as check fraud or con activity relating to identity theft.
For further information on upcoming area events focusing on preventing identity theft, contact Snyder at the county crime prevention office at (509) 477-2592, or Deputy Travis Pendell at 477-6044.
Cara Lorello can be reached at [email protected]
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