Technology makes identity theft easy, leads to more ruined lives

Advances in technology, like the internet revolution in the 90s, have made life easier on everyone, including identity thieves.

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. That theft occurs when someone uses your personal information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number without permission to commit fraud or other crimes.

Many times, a person will not even find out about the theft until they review their credit report or a credit card statement. If the charges are small enough, they could fly completely under the radar until it’s too late.

That’s why St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne wants residents to take a closer look at those monthly statements, especially the ones that arrive after the busy holiday season.

“The holidays are a prime time for identity thieves to go into overdrive when it comes to stealing innocent peoples’ identities,” he said. “Those thieves take advantage of the hustle and bustle of Christmas and shoppers’ sometimes preoccupation with the holiday season’s festivities and fast pace.”

There are a variety of ways thieves can get your information, including rummaging through trash to find bills, stealing credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card, or diverting billing statements to another location by completing a change of address form.

Then, of course, there’s old-fashioned stealing.

With just a Social Security number and a person’s name, many times identity thieves can open new credit card accounts in the person’s name. That way, when they use the cards and don’t pay the bill, the delinquent accounts appear on your credit report. But it’s not just opening a credit card account, thieves can also use that information to open bank accounts, phone accounts or any other utility service account such as electricity, heating or cable TV.

And even if they are not after your money, identity thieves can use your information to obtain a driver’s license so that they can give another person’s personal information to police during an arrest.
“Identity theft is clearly a growing problem across the

nation,” Capt. Pat Yoes , a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, said. “It knows no jurisdictional bounds because someone can get your information from the internet or from your credit card.

“Everyone needs to be on guard.”

Champagne says that residents can prevent these crimes by following some simple precautions established by the National Crime Prevention Council.

First, residents need to be sure to review their monthly credit card and bank statements, looking carefully for unfamiliar transactions. Also, it’s important to retrieve mail promptly, so that it doesn’t sit waiting for thieves to collect, and check credit reports. The law entitles everyone to at least one free report a year from each major credit bureau.

Most importantly, people should lock up their personal information, destroy or shred documents that they do not need for long periods, such as phone and utility bills, and report suspicious activity right away.

“Knowledge is power when it comes to preventing identity theft,” Champagne said. “The only way to maintain power over your financial information is by limiting other people’s knowledge and access to it.”