Yakima Valley Hit By Rash of Identity Thefts
Identity theft is a growing problem across the nation, and Yakima Valley in Washington State is yet another location joining the list of places experiencing growing numbers of thefts. David Gilbreath is the president and CEO of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Yakima Valley. He reports that identity theft is one of the most rapidly growing crimes in Yakima Valley but it is difficult to police.
The reasons for the policing difficulty are twofold. First is the fact that there are not enough police resources to track down the source of the thefts. Second is the fact that identity theft can often involve complex computer hacking that begins in places like Russia and China. It is virtually impossible to find out who is doing the hacking.
On the other hand, a lot of identity theft in Yakima Valley occurred quite simply. Checks or other documents containing personal information are stolen out of mailboxes. The consumer is unaware the documents are missing until the thief uses their information to steal funds or buys products using credit card or other account information.
According the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network, in 2008 there were 1.2 million complaints filed, and of those 26 percent were identity thefts. This means that 314,000 identity theft complaints were filed in 2008 and the numbers are sure to have grown in 2009.
Washington State, the location of Yakima Valley, is ranked 14th on the list of states in terms of numbers of complaints filed. The entire state had 5,800 complaints filed in 2008.
Gilbreath makes some suggestions of things consumers can do that minimize their risk of becoming identity theft victims.
• Check your credit report at least once a year
• Pick up your checks at the bank and don’t have them mailed to your home
• Never give out PIN numbers to anyone including family and friends
• Never give your personal information to someone on the phone unless you are assured it is safe to do so
• Beware of opening emails that you don’t recognize because they may contain viruses that track keystrokes or provide a portal to gain access to your computer
• Don’t leave card payments in your mailbox where thieves can steal your mail but instead place your mail in a mailbox
• Don’t throw credit card offers in the trash without shredding them
• Don’t carry your social security card in your wallet
Taking some precautionary measures really doesn’t require a lot of effort, yet they can prevent consumers from spending years trying to overcome the damages identity theft can cause.
In Yakima Valley, the Police Sgt. Tony Bennett says that most identity thefts are the result of fraudulently written checks. Thieves will steal checking account numbers and then have the number printed on checks they create. The police work the cases though, as mentioned, they can be difficult cases to resolve. Some thieves steal locally and then move on to another location.
If you find a fraudulent account on your credit report, the major credit bureaus can place a fraud alert on your report. You should have the account closed immediately of course, and then file a report with the police.
