Beware of the Identity Snatchers
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing white-collar crimes in the U.S. Thieves are assuming the identities of unsuspecting victims and committing financial fraud totaling in the hundreds of millions of dollars. All an identity snatcher needs is your name, address, social security number and birth date — information often found on drivers licenses and personal checks. Thieves can also get the information by stealing credit card statements; pre-approved credit card offers and tax information right out of your mailbox.
You can’t prevent identity theft, but you can reduce your chances of being a victim. Close all stagnant credit card accounts; don’t just cut up the cards. Mail your bills from a post office or mail drop. Be careful about giving out your personal information when you haven’t initiated the transaction.
It’s also helpful to order your credit reports once a year from each of the national credit bureaus so you can check for errors and catch any identity theft before it gets out of hand. Call Expertain (800-682-7654), Equifax (800-685-1111) and Trans Union (800-916-8800) to order the reports and inform them of any mistakes you find. There is a minimal charge, but well worth the cost to prevent identity theft.
If you have questions, concerns or complaints about a business, a possible scam or a service, be sure to contact The Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Consumer Services at
1-800-HELP-FLA. You can even file your complaint or inquiry online at www.800helpfla.com. You don’t have to wait until you have made a purchase. Check out the business before you spend your hard-earned money.
Here are some other resources for customer assistance and protection.
Consumer Information Center
1-888-8-PUEBLO or www.pueblo.gas.gov
Consumer Product Safety Commission
1-800 638-2772 or www.cpsc.gov
Federal Trade Commission
1-877-FTC-HELP or www.ftc.gov
National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators
1-202-347-7395 or www.nacaanet.org
You may also want to check out these web sites to protect yourself while traveling on the Internet highway.
- Consumer Reports Online - educated consumers about how to shop on the world wide web at: www.consumerreports.org/index.html
- Scambusters - identifies current Internet scams and educates on how to avoid getting taken: www.scambusters.com .
