Crime trend warrants
awareness, vigilance

With all the advances in technology that our society has enjoyed in the last 15 years, we have also taken in a new type of criminal — identity thieves. Unlike thieves of the past, identity thieves usually do not have to enter one’s home or car to steal, nor do they generally come face to face with their victims. But their gains, and a victim’s losses, can be far greater than one might suspect.

These criminals prey upon our everyday transactions, whether it is writing a check at the grocery store, renting a car or buying an item on the Internet. The thief can obtain a victim’s name, address and phone number from certain transactions; their credit card number, income and Social Security number from others. The easiest way for them to steal an identity is to take a wallet or a purse, but there is a surprising list of ways in which identities can be stolen.

And the results of this type of crime can be astounding.

Among the possibilities: Thieves can change the address on a victim’s credit card so that bills are mailed elsewhere; open up new credit card accounts; open bank accounts in the victim’s name; file for bankruptcy under the victim’s name; buy cars and take out loans in the victim’s name; even use the victim’s name in an arrest.

Victims suffer sometimes devastating losses: Loans for housing and cars can no longer be obtained; job opportunities lost; credit records are damaged. Correcting the problem can take years and a great deal of money.

But as a local police officer put it, thieves are like water — they choose the least resistant path. In other words, there are many things people can do to avoid becoming victims.

People are advised to place unpredictable passwords on credit cards, bank accounts and phone accounts. Also, as long-term methods of prevention, the federal government suggests that mail be torn or shredded before thrown out, and that people don’t give out personal information on the phone or over the Internet unless they have initiated the contact or are certain who they are dealing with.

Some good advice is that people order a copy of their credit report from the three major credit bureaus. The reports can be checked for accuracy in terms of what accounts are open, how bills have been paid, and will also list any arrests and lawsuits.

Identity theft is becoming more common each year, even in our local communities, some of which are seeing hundreds of cases reported each year. While law enforcement officials grapple with how best to handle such a new and complex form of crime, as citizens, we should remain vigilant and do whatever possible to secure our identities.