hensylee
Well-known member
from Fla Atty General's office but it applies everywhere. This is good info and you probably already know it, but it never hurts to refresh:
Crist Cautions Holiday Shoppers to Prevent ID Theft
TALLAHASSEE - Attorney General Charlie Crist today advised Floridians
to be careful when using credit and debit cards to pay for gifts
during this holiday shopping season in order to avoid becoming victims
of identity theft. Crist, who yesterday convened the state's second
annual Identity Theft Summit in Tampa, said unsuspecting holiday
shoppers create inviting targets for ID thieves.
Crist advised consumers to be careful when reaching into their wallet
to pay for gift purchases, to make sure no one is lurking to steal a
credit card number. At the same time, he said, the crowds and turmoil
at shopping centers makes it vitally important that parents also keep
a close eye on small children.
"When holiday shopping, it is easy to become distracted while looking
for the perfect gift and the best bargain," said Crist. "Hectic
shopping malls can be a breeding ground for ripoff artists and other
criminals, and Floridians should take steps to protect themselves,
their loved ones and their personal information."
Crist said the holiday season is the best time for the Identity Theft
Summit, which brought together officials from law enforcement, the
retail industry, banking and other sectors to discuss ways to reduce
ID theft in Florida. The Attorney General's Fraud Hotline has received
some 3,400 calls concerning identity theft since it was instituted in
2003. According to the Federal Trade Commission, a total of 38,325
Floridians filed fraud or identity theft complaints in 2004, and
almost one-third of the 16,062 identity theft complaints concerned
credit card fraud.
Crist offered the following suggestions for Floridians to avoid
identity theft while shopping:
When Making Purchases at Retail Stores
- Don't take out credit cards before you get to the register. This
will allow you to control the number of people who see the information
on your cards and will reduce the chance of misplacing them. Protect
your credit numbers from the people around you.
- Beware of others who have cell phones in their hands but are not
making calls. Clever thieves are using cell phones to take photographs
or videos of credit cards or personal information.
- Carry only the credit or debit cards your plan to use for holiday
purchases. If your wallet or purse is stolen, fewer accounts will be
affected.
When Making Purchases with the Internet and Cell Phones
- Make online purchases through secure websites from companies you
trust.
- If someone claiming to be a representative of your bank or lending
institution, or a business with which you have an established account,
asks you to provide account information over the internet, do not do
so. This is not a legitimate request for information but is instead a
scam called "phishing." Legitimate banks and businesses entities
already have that information and do not need to ask you for it.
- Keep your billing information private and avoid sharing it via cell
phone, especially in a location where a stranger could overhear and
write down the information.
Handling the Documentation of Credit and Purchases
- Take all receipts with you so that no one else picks them up. If you
throw away your receipts, tear them up first.
- Look at credit card statements carefully to check for charges you
did not make. Contact the credit card company right away if you find
any problems.
In an Emergency
- If you are a victim of identity theft, report to the police and then
ask the national credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit
report. Tell banks and creditors involved that you question the
charges or accounts. Keep records of telephone calls and follow up in
writing with credit bureaus, banks and creditors.
Crist Cautions Holiday Shoppers to Prevent ID Theft
TALLAHASSEE - Attorney General Charlie Crist today advised Floridians
to be careful when using credit and debit cards to pay for gifts
during this holiday shopping season in order to avoid becoming victims
of identity theft. Crist, who yesterday convened the state's second
annual Identity Theft Summit in Tampa, said unsuspecting holiday
shoppers create inviting targets for ID thieves.
Crist advised consumers to be careful when reaching into their wallet
to pay for gift purchases, to make sure no one is lurking to steal a
credit card number. At the same time, he said, the crowds and turmoil
at shopping centers makes it vitally important that parents also keep
a close eye on small children.
"When holiday shopping, it is easy to become distracted while looking
for the perfect gift and the best bargain," said Crist. "Hectic
shopping malls can be a breeding ground for ripoff artists and other
criminals, and Floridians should take steps to protect themselves,
their loved ones and their personal information."
Crist said the holiday season is the best time for the Identity Theft
Summit, which brought together officials from law enforcement, the
retail industry, banking and other sectors to discuss ways to reduce
ID theft in Florida. The Attorney General's Fraud Hotline has received
some 3,400 calls concerning identity theft since it was instituted in
2003. According to the Federal Trade Commission, a total of 38,325
Floridians filed fraud or identity theft complaints in 2004, and
almost one-third of the 16,062 identity theft complaints concerned
credit card fraud.
Crist offered the following suggestions for Floridians to avoid
identity theft while shopping:
When Making Purchases at Retail Stores
- Don't take out credit cards before you get to the register. This
will allow you to control the number of people who see the information
on your cards and will reduce the chance of misplacing them. Protect
your credit numbers from the people around you.
- Beware of others who have cell phones in their hands but are not
making calls. Clever thieves are using cell phones to take photographs
or videos of credit cards or personal information.
- Carry only the credit or debit cards your plan to use for holiday
purchases. If your wallet or purse is stolen, fewer accounts will be
affected.
When Making Purchases with the Internet and Cell Phones
- Make online purchases through secure websites from companies you
trust.
- If someone claiming to be a representative of your bank or lending
institution, or a business with which you have an established account,
asks you to provide account information over the internet, do not do
so. This is not a legitimate request for information but is instead a
scam called "phishing." Legitimate banks and businesses entities
already have that information and do not need to ask you for it.
- Keep your billing information private and avoid sharing it via cell
phone, especially in a location where a stranger could overhear and
write down the information.
Handling the Documentation of Credit and Purchases
- Take all receipts with you so that no one else picks them up. If you
throw away your receipts, tear them up first.
- Look at credit card statements carefully to check for charges you
did not make. Contact the credit card company right away if you find
any problems.
In an Emergency
- If you are a victim of identity theft, report to the police and then
ask the national credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit
report. Tell banks and creditors involved that you question the
charges or accounts. Keep records of telephone calls and follow up in
writing with credit bureaus, banks and creditors.
