By STACY DWARSHUIS
Increasingly we have been receiving reports of identity theft. Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal identifying information such as: your name, Social Security number or credit card number, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes.  The Federal Trade Commission estimates some nine million Americans fall victim yearly to some form of identity theft.
Identity thieves obtain personal information by various means, from stealing wallets, purses, mail, to placing pretext calls to your home or financial institutions, dumpster diving, completing a change of address form and diverting your mail, skimming your credit/debit numbers and the ever popular email phishing.
Once the thieves have your personal information they may open credit cards accounts, phone or wireless accounts, obtain utility services, take out loans, create counterfeit checks, seek employment, gain medical services and government benefits.  The list is only limited by their imagination.
You can protect your good name and credit by taking a few simple steps.  Be cautious when businesses request your Social Security number.  Your employer and financial institutions need this information for wage and tax reporting purposes.  Others may ask you for the information to do a credit check if you are applying for a loan, renting an apartment or signing up for utilities.  Sometimes, however they simply want the number for general recordkeeping. Don’t be afraid to ask the requesting party/business questions such as; why do you need my Social Security number, how will it be used, how do you protect my information from being stolen and what will happen if I don’t give you my Social Security number.
Review your bank and credit card statements carefully and in a timely fashion.  Request a periodic credit report from the three major credit reporting bureaus (Equifax, Experian & Trans Union).  Shred charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance and physician statements, cancelled checks and bank statements, expired charge cards and credit offers you receive in the mail.  Never give out your personal information to anyone who telephones you posing as a financial institution or governmental body.
Internet identity theft is growing at an alarming rate.  Phishing is a scam where internet thieves send out spam and pop up messages to lure personal and financial information.  Don’t reply to them or open any attached links, many of which contain spyware.  Don’t be fooled, remember legitimate companies don’t ask for your personal information via email. If you are concerned about your account contact the company using a telephone number you know to be genuine. The number listed on the phishing request may contain a local area code and appear legitimate; however the fraudsters may be using Voice over Internet Protocol technology and the number you call does not reflect where the thieves really are.  Always use anti-virus and anti spyware software, as well as a firewall and update them all regularly.  If the offer sounds too good to be true, well you know the rest of the saying.
Remember that school is back in session across the valley so watch your speed and keep an eye out for the unexpected.
Check out a new service provided by the police department to help you stay informed, its called crime mapping.  It’s free and easy to use.  Simply go to www.crimemapping.com/map/wa/selah.
Be safe!