CRIME UPDATE DeLand Police Department Monday 09/27/10 10:26 AM On Friday, 09/24, a resident in the 600 Block of W. May called the Police Dept to a report a suspicious incident Involving a male subject. The resident reported that that unknown white male, no other physical description, attempted to open the front door of her residence. When confronted by the resident and her husband the subject made an excuse that he was there to see about cutting the grass. The subject ran to a 80’s white sedan and fled from the scene with a white male driving.
Please be alert to such a ploy in your area. Typical Burglary operation is for the suspect to knock on the door to see if anyone is home. If no answer the front door will be forced open or entry is made by a rear sliding glass door or master bedroom window. If you are home and a situation like this occurs, do not open your door, but tell them that you are not interested and then call the Police Department at (386) 734-1711. By communicating to the subjects at your door it alerts them that someone is home and they are being watched.
DeLand Police Department Monday 09/27/10 10:26 AM
13.3 IDENTITIES ARE STOLEN EVERY MINUTE
My personal advice to seniors (and I am one) is to keep close to your relatives and friends. Ask advice at the slightest suspicion of an irregularity in dealing with service providers. Make sure several trusted friends have your back and will check on you frequently if you live alone. Most senior living is safe and happy, but criminal elements can be very disruptive if allowed to get into your home or your personal information. Be Smart! Stay active and alert, participate in group activities and phone-a-friend once a day.
In a recent appearance at the Rotary Club of DeLand (noon) Randell Brown, CPM, Consumer Outreach Coordinator for the Central Florida Region, Division of Consumer Services revealed the seriousness of Identity/Credit Card Theft. Here are some of the important steps you can take to protect yourself.
You may feel secure with the use of credit and debit cards because of the convenience and ease of use. Like, me you are relaxed about using your cards and you are feeling confident that credit card theft won’t happen to you.
Watch your wallet!
Thirty-three percent of credit card and identity information is stolen from a lost wallet. Keep vital information out of your wallet. Another 30% is harvested from careless use of your cards at ATMs and gas stations. Mr. Brown recommends using your credit cards for payments and not your debit cards. If thieves get your debit card information they have access to your bank accounts.
The truth is that credit card theft is so prevalent that the government has established a clearing house for credit card theft and another for identity theft.
Your best course of action is to begin today to practice defensive credit card use in order to protect yourself. Begin by monitoring your bank statement for unauthorized charges. Fortunately my husband does this on a regular basis and 6 months ago he noticed I had a $20 breakfast in Idaho. Since I live in Florida and have not traveled in ten years, this was a real red flag. Then, when he saw I had visited an outlet mall on the way to Idaho he really went ballistic. He realized instantly that I was the victim of credit card theft.
Do not save your Social Security information in your cell phone. Don’t keep this information in your wallet, and don’t have it printed on your checks. When filling out forms that ask for SS get a clear understanding of who has access to the information.
Buying on the internet is so much fun. When you see a real bargain it is natural to order it by credit card. Check the address of the site with the merchandise and be sure it is a https:// address. The S in this address indicates it is a secure site.
When traveling or on vacation, remember to monitor your credit card reports. Call your bank before you leave on a trip and let them know you will be using your card while you are away. Your personal buying habits are monitored by several different companies and your bank has a good idea of where you make most of your purchases. They use this pattern of information to help protect you from misuse. Last year I made one purchase out of my usual pattern. I ordered a software program from a company in the United Kingdom. My card company called me to confirm that I made the purchase before they processed the payment.
Report theft of your credit card to police immediately. Be smart and call the identity theft clearing house if you have any suspicions. The number is 1-877-IDTHEFT.
Use free credit card reports. Write down this number for the credit card reports and keep it on your refrigerator under a magnet —1-877-322-8228.
Be careful when using an ATM machine. Be aware of what the slider feels like when you use an ATM. If you detect a slight change in the “feel” report it immediately. This is called “card skimming.” Look around to be sure no-one is watching you punch your PIN or spying on your card number. Ooops! Don’t forget to look overhead for a mirror or reflective device. That makes it so easy for thieves to collect your information.
Cross-shred all papers with personal information before discarding. Again, cross-shred all papers with personal information.
Patronize restaurants you are familiar with and don’t allow the server to leave with your card. Clever thieves know how to get your card number while it is out of your sight. This is how I believe my information was stolen.
Retail store registers can be programed with data phishing devices too. Keep your eye on your card. Actually a person in the parking lot or another location can be using an electronic device to collect card information from customers during business hours.
Never raise the flag on your mailbox when you have outgoing mail. Credit card thieves only need to drive up and empty your box. Wait for the mailperson to appear and then run out and hand over your outgoing mail. If you are sending out checks mail them from your post office.
When you receive email from an unknown address delete it immediately. Don’t open it to read no matter what the enticement is. Those emails that say they are from refugees in Uganda, or that you can share the $500 M lotto prize in Morocco are introductions to a world of trouble. Never, never put any real money in an offer to share a lotto. You will always lose!
Popups are annoying on your computer — but they are also dangerous. Set your browser to prevent popups and when they occur don’t click on the X to close them. Look for a “close” button and click that, or go to the top of your browser and select the tab and close it or “file — close”.
By now you are a very clever person who know how to protect yourself from larceny, but you’re not done yet!
Emails can be cleverly disguised to mimic your official bank stationary or search engines such as Google or Yahoo. If you have not requested information from, or subscribed to, a newsletter from any familiar company don’t read the email, delete it and place the address on your spam filter if you can.
- Citizen Resources
Resources for Florida’s citizens, including Florida’s Checkbook, Unclaimed Property and more - Consumer Help
Help for Florida’s insurance consumers, with expert advice and fraud reporting - Government Support
Support for Florida’s public agencies, local governments and community entities - Professional Info
Information for industry professionals whom we regulate, manage, or license
Also get disaster preparedness information emphasizing on Hurricane protection.
For more information about phishing Google the word on your browser or go to — www.webopedia.com/terms. You may also want to read on that website about “twishing” and additional information on protecting yourself from Identity Theft.
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