NEW PHILADELPHIA — More than 30 people attended the March meeting of the New Philadelphia Crime Watch Association that featured a program on the dangers of identity theft.
Janene M. Holter, senior supervisory special agent with the state Office of the Attorney General, spoke about current “scams” circulating to steal money from unsuspecting residents of the commonwealth as well as ways to protect one’s self from becoming a victim.
Holter, an agent for 17 years, stressed the importance of people never carrying their Social Security card on them on a regular basis and only taking it when it will be needed.
She also warned that medical cards, such as Medicare, may also contain the person’s Social Security number and should be guarded by the owner.
Another part of the program Holter called “Invasion of the Identity Snatchers” explained how criminals are using computer scams, telling users that they can apply for credit cards, win trips at ridiculously low prices or even have their credit repaired.
These websites will ask for personal information such as a name, address, telephone number, bank information and Social Security numbers.
“Never, ever give this information out to someone you do not know or someone you did not contact personally for a particular reason,” she said.
“Criminals troll the Internet on a daily basis,” Holter said.
Crimes involving scams dealing with cellphones are also on the rise and increasing with the accessibility of the mobile devices.
“Out of the world’s estimated seven billion people, six billion have access to mobile phones but only 4.5 billion have access to working toilets,” Holter said.
She stressed that cellphone users often use Facebook to post things like “going on vacation tomorrow” or photos showing them on vacation. Such postings let the criminal element know the person is away, leaving their property vulnerable to thefts.
In addition, criminals often make “friend” requests on Facebook and subsequently trick the victim into providing information that is then used to withdraw money through various methods.
Among the most recent scams are requests for donations to charitable organizations, lottery or sweepstakes winners and family emergencies or requests for financial assistance.
Should a person receive requests such as those, or requests that do not seem on the “up and up” they should simply ignore them, delete the emails or throw written requests in the trash can.
Holter also told the group easy ways not to become a victim of identity theft by never giving out personal information, never provide banking or credit card information and never complete unsolicited surveys or pop ups.
In addition, she said residents should never donate before they verify a charity, never trust the caller ID display, never withdraw cash or “wire” cash to a stranger and never pay for taxes or fees from an advanced check in hopes of a larger payout later.
Regarding the Internet, Holter urged residents to use unusual passwords, have firewalls and security software updated, don’t open emails from unknown people, do not complete online surveys or forms and don’t provide personal information to anyone.
If a person becomes a victim of identity theft, they should contact police immediately and file a report, immediately close all accounts, open new accounts with a new PIN number, start a secure file for all correspondence and place a Fraud Alert with all three major credit bureaus.
“Staying alert and keeping an eye on credit card or bank accounts is the best way to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft,” Holter said.
Prior to the presentation, association President John Bondura said the group recently implemented “incident reports” that members can fill out regarding suspicious activity. The reports are then given to the police department for follow-up investigation if needed.
“We are the eyes and ears of the community. Be observant, identify situations and report if it something is out of the ordinary,” he said.
“One little piece of information can break a case, pay attention to what’s going on around you,” Bondura told the group.