Officials say you can't be too cautious with ID theft Detective and postal inspector inform public on common scams BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer NORTH BRUNSWICK - A hospital employee looks up a patient's personal information and sells it to car companies, affecting their credit. A gas station attendant uses a hand-held device to scan credit card numbers, or he holds the spout near the vehicle without filling up the tank, therefore charging you for more gas than you are receiving. A home health-care aide steals her client's daughter's information, so that after the mother passes away the daughter is denied a mortgage payment and can't buy a house. A waiter takes your credit card as you pay, switches it with his own, racks up payments on your card and then has you arrested when you unknowingly attempt to use his. A person asks if you need help at a supermarket or department store while his partner steals your pocketbook or belongings. Such scams are unfortunately prevalent in today's society, which is why North Brunswick Police Detective David Varga and United States Postal Inspector Ed Steed held an identity theft presentation at Congregation B'nai Tikvah on Finnegans Lane on Sept. 25. Identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the country, occurring in person, at home, through the mail, over the phone or using the Internet. The No. 1 protection against having personal information stolen is having a credit report completed each year. Varga and Steed suggested contacting a service like Equifax, Experian or TransUnion to obtain credit reports. Also, certain banks and credit card companies offer protection plans for a small monthly or yearly fee. "An annual credit report is the minimal step you should take," Steed said. "Not only does it protect you against theft but it will protect you against bad information." In relation to credit cards, all receipts should be reconciled with the statement before being disposed. Make sure that the receipts only have the last four digits of the card number, not the full number, in case the copy is lost. The back of the card should say "Ask for ID" instead of having a signature, that way clerks must match the user to the card and so that a potential criminal does not have access to your handwriting. "If you do sign it and now I stole your credit card, now I've got your signature down," Varga said. Another trick offenders use is taking a picture of a credit card while on line at a shopping center, using their cell phone. "In this day and age you've got to be a little tougher and you have to say, 'Back up, give me some space,' " Varga said. "Or, don't be afraid to cover your card when you give it to the cashier." The 15-year police veteran also warned against shopping rewards cards, which can be verified by a telephone number. He said if a clerk checks the person's number and then says the person's name aloud to confirm the person's identity, a waiting thief now has two important pieces of information. Varga said a customer should either whisper the phone number or write it on a piece of paper. He also said that all erroneous documents should be shredded. Crimes are happening at the home, also. According to the U.S. Congress, Americans lose an estimated $40 billion each year due to the activities of fraudulent "salespeople." Businessmen wearing suits trying to sell items or construction workers asking to come inside to check the water meter are most likely not appropriate professionals and should not be allowed into the house. Other suspicious activities to be wary of are check scams, false inheritances, homeimprovement solicitations, PIN (personal identification number) swipes, Dumpster diving and stolen delivered packages. Varga also advised that the Police Benevolent Association does not solicit funds via the telephone, nor do county offices call to check on jury duty notices. "You're panicking because you think there's a warrant out for your arrest and here they're getting all of your info," the four-year detective said. For other questionable agencies, Varga said the victim should request documents in writing so they can verify who is contacting them. Also, he said that banks would never ask to verify account information through the Internet. Although only 4 percent of identity theft occurs through the mail, Steed said that postal inspectors check packages for suspicious materials such as bombs or anthrax while protecting its customers from fraud. He warned that if something sounds too good to be true, such as a lottery or prize package, it probably is. He also said that if someone unknown is requesting personal information, the information should not be released. For mail that is en route, residents need to be wary of sending mail. First off, outgoing letters should never be left in a personal mailbox because criminals pretend to leave fliers while retrieving existing mail, which could contain private information, creditcard statements, medicine or bank documents. Thus, locked mailboxes are suggested. "For the mailman to have to go up to a house on every single delivery he or she has, we would be bankrupt," Steed said. "For the postal service [curbside mailboxes] are costeffective but we do not suggest, we do not recommend, you using curbside service for outgoing mail." Also, although it is not entirely common, the blue mailboxes located in town outside of the post office have been known to be stolen or moved to different locations. Received mail is an additional concern. This relates to foreign lotteries and prize packages, as Steed said that criminals in West Africa and Eastern Europe tell people that if they wire $5,000 overseas, they will be sent a check for $50,000. Or, they will steal a legitimate check, make a duplicate, wait until the check is deposited so the bank thinks the account is legitimate and then steal whatever money is sent back to them according to the arrangement. "Foreign lotteries are illegal in the U.S., I don't care how legitimate they look," Steed said. The postal inspector said that communication is an effective tool against identity theft because a questionable company or prize package would usually be seen as skeptical by other friends and family members. "We always tell people to talk to your families, share with them … when something occurs. When someone makes us an offer, we don't tell anyone about it, we run, because if we get duped, we don't want anyone to know we were scammed," he said. In the event a fraudulent situation is found, the police department should be contacted. Complaints should be filed with the National Fraud Information Center at (800) 876-7060, the National Insurance Consumer Hot Line at (800) 942-4242 or the Federal Trade Commission at (877) 438-4338. "Fraud alert" tags should be placed on the credit reports, the three major credit-reporting agencies should be contacted and any fraudulent accounts should be closed. For more information, contact Varga at (732) 247-0922, ext. 333, or Steed at (732) 819-3237.