# Presentation: 432585

## GUARDING AGAINST IDENTITY THEFT

- COUNTY OF SUFFOLK
- OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
**THOMAS J. SPOTA**
**DISTRICT ATTORNEY**
- Presented by
- THE ECONOMIC CRIMES BUREAU
- (631) 853-4232

## Assistant District Attorney Joseph T. Conley III Economic Crimes Bureau 

- On behalf of the District Attorney Tom Spota, I welcome you to today’s program.

**  ****“****My purse was stolen in December 1990.  In February 1991, I started getting notices of bounced checks.  About a year later, I received information that someone using my identity had defaulted on a number of lease agreements and bought a car.  In 1997, I learned that someone had been working under my Social Security number for a number of years.  A man had been arrested and used my SSN on his arrest sheet.  There’s a hit in the FBI computers for my SSN with a different name and gender.  I can’t get credit because of this situation.  I was denied a mortgage, employment, credit cards and medical care for my children.  I’ve even had auto insurance denied, medical insurance and tuition assistance denied**.”
- 			***-From a consumer complaint to the FTC ******	******	******	******	******	******	******January 2, 2001***

## INFORMATION AGE

**Fantastic achievements **
- Ways we communicate
- Share information
- Purchase goods
**OPPORTUNITY**
**Criminals are creatures of OPPORTUNTITY**
**Identity theft the fastest growing crime in the country**

## Total Identity Theft Records by Calendar Year

**Reported cases Increased 132% since 2002**
**249% Increase in Complaints from 2001-2003**
**These figures only reflect cases reported**

## Major Metropolitan Areas Ranking for Fraud- Related ComplaintsJanuary 1 – December 31, 2003					

**1) Washington DC-MD-VA-WV**
**2)  Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA**
**3)  San Diego, CA**
**4)  Phoenix—Mesa, AZ**
**5)  Tampa-St. Petersburg, Clearwater, FL**
**6)  Oakland, CA**
**7)  Denver, CO**
**8)  Orange County, CA**
**9)  Dallas, TX**
**10) Baltimore, MD**
**11) Atlanta, GA**
**12) ****Nassau-Suffolk, NY**
**13) Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI**

**14) Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA**
**15) Boston, MA**
**16) St. Louis, MO-IL**
**17) Philadelphia, PA-NJ**
**18) Pittsburgh, PA**
**19) Newark, NJ**
**20) Chicago, IL**
**21) Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria, OH**
**22) Riverside- San Bernadino, CA**
**23) Detroit, MI**
**24) Miami, FL**
**25) New York, NY**
**26) Houston, TX**

## How Can Identity Theft Affect You?

## Poor Credit Rating

**Denied jobs**
**Denied loans**
**Denied leases**
**Check writing privileges **

## Financial Loss

**A typical victim’s financial losses have been calculated to be ****as high as $36,000**
**Telephone calls**
**Notarized statements**
** ****Loans**
**Counseling fees **
**Lost wages resulting from time taken off work**

## Arrest

**Tickets**
**Warrants**

## TYPES OF INFORMATION THAT CAN BE STOLEN

**Names**
**Address**
**Date of birth**
**Telephone numbers**
**Social security numbers**
**Driver’s license numbers**
**Bank Cards**

**Birth certificates**
**Passports**
**Driver’s license**
**Mother’s maiden name**
**Credit card/Bank account numbers**
**Telephone calling cards**
**Pin codes**

## HOW IDENTITY THEFT OCCURS

## Criminals Get Information Through Businesses

**Stealing records from employers**
**Bribing an employee who has access to these records**
**Hacking into the organization’s computers**

## “Dumpster Diving”

**Criminals rummage through trash to obtain:**
**Credit card applications**
**Bills**
**Bank statements**
**Documents with other valuable information on them**

## Theft

**Steal wallets and purses**
**containing identification, credit cards, bank cards, checks**
**Steal personal information from your home**
**Steal mail from your mailbox**
**Pre-approved credit offers, new checks, bank statements, tax info., social security info., etc.**

## Solicit You Personally

**Criminals pose as:**
**Government officials**
**Legitimate business people**
- Cable company
- Online provider
- Phone company

## DIVERT MAIL TO ANOTHER LOCATION

**Criminals complete a “change of address form”.**
**Diverting your mail to another location**

## Who Is Committing These Crimes

- Prior Criminals Branching Out
- First Time Criminals
- Neighbors
- Co-workers
- Friends
- Family

## YOU CAN NEVER BE 100% SAFE

- Keep using your credit cards and ATM cards.
- Use what you learn today to lower the chances of becoming a victim.

## Not trying to scare you

- We want to make you aware of things you can do to reduce the risk of becoming a victim

## WAYS TO HELP PREVENT IDENTITY THEFT

## BE WEARY ABOUT WHO YOU GIVE PERSONAL INFORMATION TO.

**Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through mail, or over the Internet unless:**
**you have initiated the contact **
**                    ****and**
**you confirm who you are dealing with a legitimate representative or a legitimate organization**

## DON’T BE SHY, ASK QUESTIONS!

- Before revealing any identifying information ask:
**Why do you need it?**
**How will it be used?**
**How do you protect it from being stolen?**
**What will happen if I don’t give it to you?**
**Ask for a call back number?  **

## PLACE PASSWORDS ON ACCOUNTS

**CREDIT CARDS**
**BANK ACCOUNTS**
**PHONE ACCOUNTS**
**AVOID USING EASILY AVAILABLE INFORMATION LIKE YOUR MOTHER’S MAIDEN NAME, YOUR BIRTH DATE, OR THE LAST FOUR DIDGETS OF YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER**

## KEEP YOUR VALUABLE INFORMATION SAFE

- Keep copies of credit cards, drivers license, passport, social security card, etc.
- Invest in a lockbox
**Keep these copies along with check books and bank account information  in a lockbox in your home.**

## Keep Alert

**Monitor the balances of your financial accounts**
**Look for unexplained charges or withdrawals**
**Receiving credit cards for which you did not apply**
**Denial of credit for no apparent reason**
**Receiving calls or mail from debt collectors about merchandise you did not buy**

## GUARD YOUR MAIL FROM THEFT

**Deposit outgoing mail in the post office collection boxes or at your local post office.**
**Promptly remove mail from you mailbox**
**If you plan on being away have a neighbor pick up your mail or call the U.S. Post Office at 1800-275-8777 to ask for a vacation hold**

## GUARD YOUR TRASH FROM THEFT

- Purchase a Shredder to **SHREAD documents, receipts,  and envelopes** containing your valuable information.

## Popular Email Scams

- Record Update or Account Misuse

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## Computers To The Rescue

- 2003 - 72% of identity thefts were done offline
- Internet does allow for quicker notification
- Victims who discovered the fraud over the internet
- Average loss was $551.00
- Victims who discovered fraud after being notified by mailed statements
- Average loss was $4,543.00

## COMPUTER PROTECTION

**Use a firewall to limit uninvited access to your computer**
**Don’t download files from strangers**
**Opening such files can expose your computer to a virus or hijacking program**
**Try not to store financial information on your computer**
**Use a secure browser-software that encrypts or scrambles information you send over the internet**
**Read website privacy policies**

## IF YOUR IDENTITY HAS BEEN STOLEN

**Place a fraud alert on your credit reports **
**View your credit report**
**Close unauthorized accounts**

## To Report Fraud

**Call**
**    **Equifax** 1-800-525-6285**
**    **Experian** 1-888-Experian**
-     TransUnion** 1-800-680-7289**
**    **Call the** **Suffolk County DA’s   office                             	at**  (631) 853-4232**
**    **Call the Police
- All three reports will be sent free of charge

## WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT THE PROBLEM?

**On October 2, 2002, the New York Legislature enacted legislation creating various levels of crimes for the possession or theft of “Personal Identifying Information.”**

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## Locally, the SCDAO is committed to combating the growing problem

**By creating a special unit comprised of prosecutorial and investigative staff to prosecute ID theft related cases.**
**Educational Programs such as this are available upon request through the District Attorney’s Office**
**Call the Suffolk County DA’s Office at **
**(631) 853-4232**

## Resources 

- Suffolk County District Attorney
- _[www.co.suffolk.ny.us/da/links.htm](http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/da/links.htm)_
- Federal Trade Commission
- _[www.consumer.gov/idtheft/](http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft)_
- United States Department of Justice
- _[www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html](http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html)_
- United State Postal Service
- _[www.usps.com/postalinspectors/idthft_ncpw.htm](http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/idthft_ncpw.htm)_

## Thank You