Fraud/Identity Theft
Identity Theft
Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing types of financial fraud. Without stealing your wallet, a crook can steal your financial identity with as little information as your social security number. It is also called "account take-over fraud" or "true-name fraud", and it involves crooks assuming your identity by applying for credit, running up huge bills and stiffing creditors - all in your name.
Bank Card Fraud
Theft is the most common occurrence of card fraud. The theft can happen to your physical card, your card number and/or your PIN (Personal Identification Number). There are many ways a thief may retrieve your card information. The perpetrator can find your card number by searching through trash to find discarded receipts, carbons or bills containing your card number. You may receive a letter for a bargain-priced vacation or prize promotion requesting card information or a simple email from what seems to be valid email from a previously used merchant or financial institution requesting information to update their records (called phishing).
Scam Artists
As identity theft and fraud increases, so does the creativity of scam artists. This is prominent in the retirement and senior communities. These scam artists are creative in both phone presentations and door to door calls. The scams can be disguised as travel deals, prize promotions, winnings or awards or money due to you, magazine subscriptions, insurance, investment frauds and the list goes on even including charitable solicitation or donations.