Charlotte East Community Partners, Inc.

C-Mail 12-31: Protect Your Good Name (Identity Theft)

Jan 04, 2004

Few things are more valuable to us than our good names, our good credit and our ability to conduct business without fear of being a victim of crime.
But today, a simple credit card transaction, some discarded mail or a stolen wallet can lead to months, even years, of legal and financial trouble. Identity thieves are robbing us of our money and our sense of safety.

Recent research by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) indicates that more than 200,000 North Carolinians may have been victims of identity theft last year. A typical victim spends on average $800 and 175 hours over 23 months
to clean up his or her credit and erase $18,000 in fraudulent charges. Charlotte is the top ID theft location followed by Raleigh, Durham,
Greensboro and Fayetteville. That's why the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the Charlotte Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service are teaming up with WCNC6
and Clear Channel Radio Charlotte to help people protect their good names.

Steps to Minimize the Risk:
Identity theft has skyrocketed in recent years and is now the number one consumer crime in the United States, although the very nature of the crime makes it difficult to provide precise statistics. "Four out of five victims
of identity theft has no idea how, when or where their personal financial information was stolen," explains Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Darrel
Stephens

There are some simple steps people can take to minimize the risk of ID theft:
* Shred any documents containing personal financial information before tossing away
* Mail bills from secure location like a post office mailbox
* Do not carry extra credit cards, your Social Security card, birth certificate or passport
* Consider installing a locking mailbox at home or use a post office box
* Check credit reports once a year

What to Do if it Happens to You:
While minimizing one's risk is the primary focus of the awareness campaign, there's also advice for people who are victims. "If it happens to you, there are four steps you should take," advises U.S. Secret Service Agent Wayne Del Tufo.
* Step One: contact one of the three major credit reporting bureaus to report the fraud.
* Step Two: contact the creditors for the accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently to close those accounts.
* Step Three: file a police report with the jurisdiction where the crime occurred or contact your local police department to file a report.
* Step Four, file a complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database that law enforcement can use to assist with investigations."

For more information about preventing identity theft, resources for victims and links to other useful sites, log on to www.cmpd.org
.