It has been on television, reported in the nightly news and in our newspapers but until it happens to you, it remains a faceless crime. Stealing someone’s identity to buy everything from cars to children’s toys may be close to a perfect crime.  Until now!

According to a recent article by Michael Higgins, ABA Journal, October 1998, thousands of criminals quietly discovered what in an increasingly cashless society had become an almost perfect crime; identity theft.   By posing as someone else, identity thieves found, they could steal in a way that left victims powerless and police uninterested.

Today, identity theft is still a vibrant and growing criminal enterprise, but its cover has been blown and the Harris County Sheriff’s Department is working hard to make arrests and to alert the public.   Federal officials are holding summits and seminars to alert people about this crime while the State legislators are pushing for tougher criminal penalties. 

Tips on Protecting Yourself 

1. Review your Billing Statements!  Make note of any unauthorized transactions.
2. Do not lend out your credit card.  If you give authorization for use at any point, credit card abuse charges may not apply.  It becomes a civil matter.
3. For employers providing company credit cards, formulate a policy that clearly specifies to the employee what the credit cards are to be used for and put it in writing.  Then, have the employee sign and date the document.
4. Sales receipts.  Before discarding receipts, block out your credit card number.
5. Do not leave mail in your mailbox for any length of time.  Stop your mail before leaving for vacation.  Mail left in a mailbox is a good source of personal information.
6. Periodically, get a copy of your credit report to check to see if the information is accurate.
7. If your card is used, ask card issuer to provide locations of usage.
8. Do not give out personal information unless absolutely necessary and never over a cellular telephone.  Information can be intercepted.
9. Shred, Shred, Shred, and Shred.  If a document is not needed – then shred it now.  Do you know where your personal trash ends up? 
10. Do not give out your Social Security Number unless it is specifically needed. 
11. Your maiden name, birth date, past addresses or driver’s license number should be protected at all cost. 

How Criminals Get Your Personal Information

1. Ordering credit reports.
2. Digging through garbage.
3. Stealing mail.
4. Snatching purses.
5. Learning it from the victim from resumes or family genealogies posted on line.
6. Listening to cellular telephone conversations.