- (GantDaily Graphic)
CLEARFIELD – While residents seem to let their guard down, fraudulent activity becomes more prevalent during the holiday season.
“There just seems to be more of it,” said Police Chief Jeff Fink of the Lawrence Township Police Department. He said theft was among the crimes that experiences a “big spike” this time of the year.
As a result, he advised residents to take the appropriate precautions to protect themselves from becoming the next victim. However, residents should not only do so through the holidays, but also year-around, he said.
Fink said any time residents are not at home, all doors and windows should be secure. In addition, residents should keep their vehicles locked at all times and not leave any valuables inside.
He said residents who plan to leave town for an extended timeframe should have their mail re-routed to a different address.
“It’s a dead giveaway that you’re not at home (if your mail piles up),” he said.
He also said residents often become targets of fraudulent companies and organizations by mail and e-mail.
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States, affecting approximately 9 million Americans each year. The U.S. Department of Justice indicates that it’s the number one crime in the nation, surpassing drug trafficking, according to the Pennsylvania Commission of Crime and Delinquency.
Further, nearly 10,000 Pennsylvanians filed identity theft complaints to the Federal Trade Commission in 2009. Of those, 20 percent reported credit card fraud as the nature of the crime.
Fink stressed that if a resident receives suspicious mail or e-mail, they should err on the side of caution. He said that personal and or financial information should not be provided to anyone who wasn’t first contacted by them.
“It’d be my advice to call the company and make sure it’s legit,” he said. “A lot of people let their guard down during the holidays. But this is to protect them from any fraud. They need to be diligent and careful.”
The PCCD offers the following tips on its Web site:
- Do not carry all of your credit cards, Social Security card, passport, and birth certificate. Carry them only when needed. Reduce the number of credit cards you carry to a minimum.
- Memorize your Social Security Number, passwords and PIN numbers—do not use your date of birth, home telephone number or last four numbers of your Social Security number.
- When you obtain a new credit card, sign it immediately and add the words, “Photo ID Required.”
- Keep your credit card in sight when it‘s being charged to prevent “skimming.” (Skimming is when a sales clerk swipes your card through a machine designed to record your credit information. This machine is NOT the same as the machine the clerk will run it through to process your charge.)
- Report all lost or stolen cards immediately to the credit card company, the three credit bureaus and your local police department.
- Keep a list or photocopy of all your credit cards, bank account numbers and phone numbers of customer service and fraud departments in a secure place (not in your wallet), so you can quickly contact all of the companies if cards are lost or you suspect fraudulent activity.
- Save and match credit card receipts with monthly statements. Check online accounts daily.
- If you have applied for a new credit card and it has not arrived in a timely manner, call the financial institution involved.
- Deposit mail in U.S. Postal Service collection boxes, rather than your own mailbox if you are located in an area where others can access your mailbox.
- Don’t leave mail in your mailbox overnight or on weekends.
- Shred unwanted documents with personal information including pre-approvals for credit cards received in the mail (cross cut shredder preferred). Criminals can retrieve these and activate the card.
- Cancel unused credit cards and charge accounts. Destroy all old cards you no longer use. Cut them so that the number is unrecognizable.
- Shred all credit card receipts.
- You can sign up for a credit monitoring service that alerts you of activity indicating possible identity theft.
- Order and review credit reports annually from the three credit reporting agencies.
www.equifax.com
www.experian.com
www.transunion.com
- Don’t leave receipts behind at ATMs, on counters, at financial institutions, trash receptacles, or at gasoline pumps.
- Memorize PIN numbers and cover the keypad with your free hand to prevent shoulder surfing.
- Avoid ATMs that look unusual in any way–unusual signage, unusual devices (e.g. a camera angled to record your PIN number).
- Use different PIN numbers for each account.
- Beware of mail, telephone, or e-mail solicitations offering prizes, especially if personal information is requested.
- Do not provide unnecessary information when ordering checks (SS number, phone number, driver’s license number).
- Do not provide information in response to e-mails requesting updated account information. Financial institutions will never request personal information via e-mail.
- Install and keep anti-virus and spyware software updated.
- When no longer needed, shred anything that has a signature, account number, Social Security number, or medical or legal information.
- Do not leave purse, wallet, or packages in your vehicle. Thieves are looking for credit card receipts in packages.
- Do not leave your employer ID badge in your vehicle.
- When traveling, use the hotel safe for any personal documents.
- When Internet shopping, make sure the company is reputable and displays an approved security symbol. Log out of the site when finished.
- Never use a debit card or check card when shopping online.
Editor’s Note: The Clearfield Borough Police Department was contacted for comment for this article. Police Chief Jeff Rhone was unavailable to comment, and policy prohibits other members of the department from commenting to the press.