PROTECTION AGAINST IDENTITY THEFT
By Jeanne C. Barck, NMAER Newsletter Editor
Identity theft has become a major issue in our society. The methods of theft often involve the use of a name in association with credit card number(s) and/or Social Security number.
Senior Citizens often are selected targets and, like all people, must learn to observe others and think about our own behaviors which can increase or decrease the likelihood of becoming victims of identity theft. For most of us, it requires a totally new behavior and mind-set. Through AARP, a number of situations have been identified to illustrate the dangers lurking in everyday situations and to help us develop new protective behaviors to counteract these situations. The text of these scenes has been shortened and paraphrased.
Scenario #1: A Frequent Occurrence in Our Daily Lives:
At a local restaurant, the man paid for his meal with his credit card. The bill came, he signed it, and the waitress took the receipt and returned the credit card. Usually, he just took the credit card and replaced it in his wallet. For some reason, he took the time to look at the card and was surprised to note that it was an expired card of the same credit card company for another person. He called the waitress who looked surprised and apologized. Under his watchful eye, she returned to the cashier and presented the wrong, expired credit card. The cashier immediately looked down and picked up the correct card. No exchange of words occurred. The waitress returned the card and apologized one again.
Lesson - Develop the habit of checking the credit card returned to you whenever it is out of your sight and possession. What is returned may not be what was sent. Check your credit card for name and expiration date each time it is returned. An exchange may not have been intentional but, if not caught it time, it can lead, at best, to apprehension and at worst, unauthorized debt and identity theft.
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Scenario #2: A Hi-Tech Wrinkle for Credit Card Number Theft
A person went to a pizza restaurant to pick up an order previously "telephone in" The order was paid with a credit card which was linked to the checking account. The cashier took the card, swiped it, and laid it on the counter as he waited for clearance. So far, the scenario is quite standard. While the customer waited the clerk picked up a cell phone and started dialing. This action too, is not usual but the customer noticed the clerk's cell phone because it was like the one just purchased which can take pictures. The person got really interested when he heard the click sound indicating that a picture had been taken by the cell phone. When the authorization was received, the clerk picked up the credit card and returned it, and continued punching buttons. Leaving the call open, he set the phone on the counter. A few seconds later, the customer heard the chime indicating that a picture has been saved. The only other object on the counter had been the credit card. Because the person knew about new cell phones that can take pictures, that person suspected that a picture of his credit card had been transmitted. He was wise enough to cancel that card with his cell phone while walking out the store.
Lesson - Be aware of the people around you - and their actions - when using a credit card. Now, with the advent of cell phones with picture-taking capability, be extremely observant. If your receipt carries the full credit card number, scratch it off. Most businesses are limiting the card number on the receipt to the last four digits. The card number is "in the computer" and is not needed on the receipt.
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Scenario #3: Billfold/Purse Out of Sight
A billfold or purse has been left unattended in a locker or at a restaurant; it is not, however, permanently missing. In this scenario, a person left the billfold in a locker - theoretically locked - at a gym and upon return , found the locker unlocked. The person flipped through the wallet to make sure all was in order. Money was there and everything seemed to be in place. He dressed and left without concern. A few weeks later, a credit card bill - an attention-getting bill of $14,000 - arrived. He called the credit card company and explained that he did not make these transactions. The customer care person asserted that there was no mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen. "No," he yelled. Then he took the card out of the wallet and looked at it carefully. A similar, expired credit card from the same bank was in his wallet. Someone had switched one credit card. Now, the process of unraveling the legitimate and illegitimate charges began and the problem of further damage loomed.
Lesson - If, your billfold or purse is recovered after you leave it in the restaurant or if it is discovered to have been left in an unsecured location, be sure to examine all of the contents carefully. Do not be duped by the presence of a similar looking card!
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Scenario #4: New Parking Lot Scheme
As most adults, you have learned to cross the parking lot carefully, unlock the care, and relock it as soon as we get inside. You then start the engine, shift into REVERSE and look into the rear view mirror to check traffic before backing out. Usually, if you see a paper stuck to the middle of the rear window blocking your view, you shift into PARK, unlock the door, and get out of the car to remove that paper. When you reach the rear of your car, someone appears out of "nowhere" jumps into the car and takes off! (Jump away because you may be purposely hit.) Your engine is running and, if you are a woman, the purse - with all its contents - is in the car! You may have lost not only the car but also your keys, credit cards, and other identifying information (home addresses, bank account numbers, etc.) The uninvited drive may later come to visit you.
Lesson - If, after you have started your car, you notice a flyer or paper on any car window, especially the back window, drive away. You can remove it later at a distant safe place.
REMEMBER, we can purchase identity theft insurance plans to protect us against financial loss and/or to help us regain our identity, but the best protection is to be aware of what is going on around you. Don't let it be easy for someone to make you the victim of identity theft.