Oct 29, 2006 6:01 pm US/Mountain
Denver Officials Warn About ID Thieves
DENVER (CBS4) ―
Public safety and postal service officials said that consumers should be aware that
identity thieves are getting more savvy and sophisticated.
To safeguard personal information, Denver police and
U.S. Postal Service officials said on Sunday in Denver that it's important to pay attention not only to lost or stolen ATM cards and Social Security numbers, but also to Internet file sharing and fake sweepstakes frauds.
They also warned to generally be cautious about snail mail. If someone isn't going to use credit card offers that come by mail, officials said it's important to rip them up or, even better, shred them.
The one piece of advice investigators said they want everyone to take is to keep a close eye on financial accounts, especially if someone keeps track of them electronically.
"People don't think it's going to happen to them," postal inspector John Salanitro said. "People think it's just going to be somebody else, and that's just the people having the apathy. You have to be aware of what's happening with your own personal credit history."
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing criminal activities in the country.
Some stated facts by officials at Sunday's press conference:
• People whose identities have been stolen can spend countless hours and thousands of dollars cleaning up the mess the thieves have made of a good name and credit record.
• Victims of identity theft may lose job opportunities, be refused loans for housing, education, and even vehicles.
• Humiliation, anger, and frustration are among the feelings victims experience as they navigate the process of rescuing their identity.
Additional Resources• Visit Colorado Attorney General's
Identity Theft prevention and information page on their Web site.
•
FBI Internet Fraud Web site• National
Identity Theft Resource Center• For more background, watch CBS4's story
Family May Change Name After Warnings About Identity Theft or read the 2005 story
Confessions Of An Identity Thief.
(© MMVI CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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