Welcome to Rainbow City Alabama


Identity Theft - "It Will Never Happen to Me"

When a criminal wrongfully obtains and usesschool, doctor's or dentist's office or any
another individual's personal data in alocation where there may be copies of credit
manner that involves fraud the act iscard receipts and other documentation
referred to as identity theft.Unfortunately,containing personal information.- Mail theft.
just about everyone knows someone who hasPre approved credit card offers and other
been a victim. A good friend of mine recentlymail material containing personal information
became a victim. His case, (and 16 years ofare too often easily obtainable by identity
law enforcement experience), prompted me tothieves.- The theft of proprietary data
write this article.*(If you have seniorcontaining employee information from a
citizens in your life, PLEASE have them readcompany's human resource department or even a
this and make sure that they understand.briefcase. If employee spreadsheets contain
Seniors are targeted more than anyone).Theno date of birth or social security
following are actual incidents involvinginformation, the names and telephone numbers
identity theft:The victim - A medical doctorare sold to telemarketing or other similar
practicing at his successful twenty-year-oldorganizations for a profit.- "Shoulder
office in central GeorgiaThe victim realizedsurfing." Identity thieves will even resort
that several important pieces of mail that heto sitting in their automobile in a parking
had been expecting at his residence hadn'tlot and will utilize binoculars to read a
arrived yet. He had expected two of the itemsvictim's PIN number at an ATM machine, or
to arrive more than two weeks earlier. Whilecredit and/or calling card number at a
attempting to telephone one of the companiespayphone.The following proactive steps will
whose package had not arrived, the victimaid in the prevention of identity theft and
received a telephone call from the salesfraud:- Insure that new orders of personal
manager at an automobile dealership locatedchecks are delivered to your bank, not your
in central Alabama. The manager stated thatresidence.- Mail payments containing personal
he was calling to insure that all was wellchecks or money orders from a secure public
with the new automobile that the doctor hadmailbox or the post office, not your
purchased several days earlier. The managerresidential mailbox.- When ordering a new or
also stated that he would have contacted thereplacement credit card by mail, write down
doctor earlier, however, all of the telephonethe name and the extension of the
numbers listed on the doctor's purchaserepresentative you speak with, as well as the
agreement were incorrect. The manager hadexpected arrival date for the card. If the
located the victim's telephone number via thecard does not arrive by the expected date,
Internet. The victim had not purchased a newtelephone the representative immediately to
automobile in over eight years.Furtherinquire about the disposition of your credit
investigation revealed that acard.- If an expected mail item does not
nineteen-year-old female from Nigeria who wasarrive on the expected date, or you notice a
legally in the United States on a studentsudden decrease in your normal amount of
visa had stumbled across the victim's ad fordelivered mail or no mail delivery at all,
his medical practice in the local Yellowinquire regarding a possible fraudulent
Pages. After leaving his office one evening,change of address at your local post office.-
the victim was followed home by the femaleCredit accounts that are not used regularly
subject. The next morning the subject walkedare attractive targets for identity thieves.
into the local post office and filled out aCancel accounts that have not been used in
change of address card, replacing thethe last six months or longer, and destroy
victim's home address with a post office boxthe credit cards.- Purchase a crosscutting
address that the female subject had purchasedshredding machine. All pre-approved credit
earlier in the week. All of the victim'spromotion documentation, check stubs,
personal mail would be sent to the P.O. boxreceipts and any documentation containing
instead of to his residence. Within days thepersonal information should be shredded
subject had received several items of mailbefore disposal.- Do not give out any
addressed to the victim, includingpersonal information over the telephone. If a
pre-approved credit card offers and othercreditor "representative" calls and requests
documents containing his social securitythat you provide them with any personal
number and date of birth. Within two monthsinformation, suggest that the representative
the subject had acquired two automobiles, aprovide you with his or her telephone number
motorcycle, a house and multiple credit cardsand extension, and inform them that you will
on the victim's credit. The subject wascall them back momentarily with the
arrested and charged by the local authoritiesinformation that they are requesting. If the
within three months of the initial criminaltelephone number does not match the toll free
act, however, the victim's credit wascustomer service number found on a monthly
completely destroyed.A detective with thestatement or on the back of the credit card
local police department who had befriendedissued to you by that creditor, call the
the victim during the investigative processactual customer service toll-free telephone
stated that he telephoned the victimnumber to inquire about the validity of the
approximately two years after the subject hadcall.- Order an unlisted home telephone
been arrested. The victim had been forced tonumber, or at a minimum request that your
close his medical practice and retire earlyname be listed in the local telephone
due to the incident.The victim - A regionaldirectory by an initial and last name, and
sales manager traveling in GeorgiaThe victimrequest that your home address be removed
fell asleep in his hotel room early onefrom your listing.- Do not participate in
evening after a day filled with meetings andtelemarketing promotions, and have your
conference calls. After exiting the shower atinformation removed from promotional lists.
approximately 7:00AM the next morning, theTelemarketing lists are bought and sold by
victim noticed that his wallet, briefcase andcompanies and individuals on a daily basis.
laptop computer were missing from the hotelOnce you have participated in a promotion
room. Further investigation revealed that theover the telephone or by mail, (even if the
victim had not secured the dead-bolt lock onpromotion offers a free product or service),
the hotel room door the night before. Someoneyou will notice an immediate increase in the
utilized a pass card-key to enter theamount of promotional mail and in the number
victim's hotel room while he was sleeping andof telemarketing calls you receive. This
acquired the missing items.Before the victimgreatly increases your risk of becoming an
could finish speaking with the local policeidentity theft victim.- Do not utilize your
and report the incident to his corporatecredit card on the Internet until you have
office, his corporate calling card number hadread in full the company's privacy policy,
been sold to several subjects at the localand the company's web site provides a secured
airport. During the six-month investigativepage that utilizes data encryption for credit
process involving the victim's case alongcard information. Many companies inform
with several others, (all of which originatede-commerce customers in the fine print
at the same hotel), the victim's personalcontained in their privacy policy that by
information was utilized to open severalpurchasing their products via their web site,
credit card accounts and to receive severalyou agree to accept all of the terms and
high interest cash loans.The victim - Aagreements contained in their privacy policy.
Georgia homeownerThe victim received aQuite often those terms include the
telephone call one morning from a majorre-distribution of your personal information
credit card company customer serviceto other companies and creditors.- Do not use
representative who worked in the theft anda check or bank card on the Internet.-
fraud department. He was calling to inquireClosely monitor all monthly bank and credit
about the unusually high dollar amounts thatcard account statements for fraudulent
had been charged on the victim's recentlywithdrawals and charges. Keep monthly
opened credit card account. The victim hadstatements for a minimum of one year.- If
not opened any credit card accounts in overyour social security number is utilized as
five years. The representative thenyour drivers license number, have it changed.
recommended that the victim call the localDo not have your social security number
police and file a police report.The victimprinted on personal checks.- Order a copy of
was informed by a police departmentyour credit report at least twice annually.-
supervisor that for three days they hadMaintain one document, preferably in a fire
received several similar complaints from theproof security file or safe along with birth
same subdivision. Further investigationcertificates, social security cards, your
revealed that a male subject posing as ahome inventory and other important
door-to-door solicitor had retrieved severaldocumentation that contains the company name,
envelopes containing pre-approved credit cardaccount number, telephone number and the
promotions from mailboxes throughout thefamily member names on each open credit
subdivision.(I was an arresting officeraccount. This will speed up the reporting
involved with the following case)The victimsprocess should you ever become an identity
- Five major Atlanta area retail outletsAtheft victim.If you suspect that you or
search warrant was successfully obtained forsomeone that you know has become a victim of
an apartment located in Dekalb County. Theidentity theft, contact your local law
two male residents were suspected ofenforcement agency immediately to obtain a
fraudulently ordering and receivingpolice report. Early documentation is
merchandise via the Internet from severalcrucial. Send a copy of the following letter
Atlanta area retail locations. Upon enteringto the major credit reporting agencies://////
the residence officers observed several////SAMPLE LETTER//////////////////Re: (Your
expensive and obviously new items offull  legal  name/no  initials)
merchandise located throughout the entire
home, including:- One twelve foot tallSocial  Security  No:__________________
artificial Christmas tree containing
hand-blown glass ornaments valued atDate  of  Birth:___________________
$3000.00- Two forty inch projection
television sets (one in the living room andSocial  Security  No:__________________
one in the master bedroom)- Unopened boxes in
the dining room containing several sets ofDate  of  Birth:___________________
crystal and china valued at $10,000.00-
Several unopened boxes located throughout theSpouses'  Name:_____________
home containing computer equipment including
monitors and PC towers valued atSocial  Security  No:_________________
$16,000.00Investigative efforts revealed that
the two subjects had obtained a CustomerDate of
Credit Listing book from another individualBirth:______________Dear_____________,In
who was at one time an employee of a creditaccordance with the Fair Credit Reporting
reporting agency. The book was the size of aAct, and for the protection of my credit
telephone book and contained thousands ofinformation, I respectfully request that you
listings in alphabetical order of Atlantatake the following actions immediately:-
area credit customers by full name, lastProvide me with my current credit report.
known mailing address, last known level of(Enclosed find $_____)- Please add the
income and even social security and date offollowing consumer alert to my credit report:
birth information.The subjects had"Do not issue credit without telephoning me
highlighted certain names, (prioritized byfirst at the following number: __________."
income level), and had utilized the victim's(This is an excellent deterrent for
personal information to obtain several creditimposters!)- Please remove my name from any
cards from the retail locations. The subjectsand all market mailing and promotional lists.
would then utilize the credit cards to order(Call 888-5OPTOUT to request information
merchandise.Five retail outlets dispatchedremoval for all three credit-reporting
seven large panel trucks to retrieve theiragencies as well.)- Please do not change my
merchandise from the residence.During themailing address or telephone number without
preliminary hearing for one of the subjects,my prior authorization in writing.- My
officers knew that the subject was a majorcurrent  address  is:  _________________
flight risk and were not pleased with the
inadequate cash bond amount that the- My current telephone number at my office
presiding judge had placed on the subject. Anis:  _____________
officer approached the bench and placed the
large Customer Credit Listing book down in- My current telephone number at my home is:
front of the judge, opened it to a_____________Enclosed you will find a copy of
book-marked page and pointed to the only linea current utility bill to confirm the
of highlighted text on the page. Bothaccuracy of the above information.Please do
subjects were denied bail by the judge andnot provide my credit information to anyone
were ordered to remain in jail until theirwithout my prior authorization via telephone,
trial date.The judges' credit information wasfax, or in writing.Please provide me with the
highlighted.Identity thieves will utilizenecessary information so that I may set up a
anyone's personal information in any waypassword to use for telephonic communications
imaginable in order to profit financially,with your agency.If I do not receive anything
including but not limited to:- Procuringfrom you in writing within ten (10) business
monies from the victim's establisheddays from the date in which you signed the
accounts- Obtaining credit cards from banksreturn receipt for this letter, I will assume
and retailers- Applying for and receivingthat you unconditionally agree to insure that
cash loans- Financing the purchase ofthe above actions are taken.Thank you in
anything from automobiles to firearmsadvance for your prompt attention to this
(identity theft is a simple way for convictedmatter.Respectfully yours,///////////SAMPLE
felons to by-pass gun laws, includingLETTER//////////////////J.C. Hurst is the IT
background checks and waiting periods)-Internet  Marketing  Director
Establishing accounts with utility companies-
Obtaining a home loan or renting a home orfor The Ziegler Corporations.You may contact
apartment- Obtaining employment- Filing forJ.C.  at  800.726.0510  -or-
bankruptcy (in the victim's name)Methods
utilized by identity thieves for obtaining aJ.C. Hurst is the IT/Internet Marketing
victim's personal information include but areDirector
not limited to:- "Dumpster diving" or sifting
through garbage at a victim's residence,for The Ziegler Corporations.You may contact
place of business or any retailJ.C. at 800.726.
establishment, restaurant, night club,



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