Nightmare of identity theft becoming more common

By TERESA F. SLATTERY

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 26, 2000

Think about how often you use your debit card to buy necessities like food and gas. You might even order items regularly over the phone or the Internet with a credit card. As the holiday season approaches, you will charge and order even more.

Now think about the lack of security involved in these transactions and the how easy it is for an identity thief to find out all of your personal information.

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal identifying information to acquire goods or services in your name, using your credit cards, debit cards, checks or other documents.

According to Detectives Greg Jennings and Karen Henry of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, it is a crime that is becoming more and more frequent. And because many people do not check their bank or credit card statements regularly, it often is not detected right away.

Before July 1, 1999, the crime was a misdemeanor, but now it is a third-degree felony. The FBI calls identity theft one of the fastest growing white-collar crimes in America.

Identity theft has increased 140 percent in the last five years, according to Detective Skip Pask, a white-collar sheriff's detective based near the University of South Florida. Pask said it is very easy for data entry clerks and other temporary or full-time employees to get personal information from patients and clients. Often an individual or group (ring) will set up shop in an office for the sole purpose of obtaining credit card or Social Security numbers.

Darlene Chapman knows firsthand about identity theft. She was a recent victim of Elnetta Brown, a woman who stole more than 375 identities in and around the Tampa area. Brown was arrested, but Chapman is still receiving phone calls and letters about the phony name Brown established with her address and Social Security number.

"It's been a nightmare," Chapman said. "Now I shred all personal bills and documents, even my prescription bottle labels. I also show a picture ID on all of my accounts and credit cards. If there is a request to change anything, or order a new service, the companies have specific instructions to call me first."

Chapman, who lives in North Tampa, was more than likely a victim of mail theft, according to the initiating officers of her report. Once information was learned about her from the stolen mail, Brown set up a new identity, Altheia D. Chapman, using only Darlene Chapman's initial and last name. She charged thousands of dollars worth of merchandise under the fictitious identity.

Chapman happened to receive a letter saying that "Altheia Chapman" had written a bad check on her same account. So Chapman went straight to her bank and found out that a bank card had been applied for and another account had been opened and immediately closed using her personal information but Altheia's name. According to detectives, Altheia Chapman had a Social Security number, driver's license and birth certificate. Brown may have even used a computer to get all the information she used to make these fictitious documents. Often identity thefts work in rings, and Brown could have had several people helping her establish her false identification.

Brown, interestingly, landed a job at AAA Auto Club South while she was awaiting trial. There, detectives say, she stole even more identities and used them to purchase and resell department store gift certificates. She was arrested on those charges Nov. 9.

So are you vulnerable? Not entirely. There are ways you can monitor your personal finances to avoid becoming a victim:

Look for bank and credit card statements that don't agree with your personal records. Other warning signs include missing credit card bills or other mail, unexplained charges on your telephone or cell phone bill or other consumer accounts, and being denied a loan that you should have qualified for.

By managing your personal information wisely, you can protect yourself further. Jennings offers the following security measures:

Do not give out personal identification information until you find out how it will be used.

Be wary of anyone calling to confirm personal information.

Order a copy of your credit report annually and check it to ensure it is accurate.

Pay attention to billing cycles and make sure you are receiving all of your bills on time. Someone could be stealing them from your mailbox.

Shred all your personal information from bills and documents.

Always make Internet purchases through a secured Web path.

Always ask for the carbon paper used for your credit card purchases.

Only give out your Social Security number when it is absolutely necessary. Remove your Social Security number and driver's license number from your personal checks and other forms of identification.

Jennings also points out that as a consumer, you have the right to prevent your name and personal information from being distributed to companies, marketers or government agencies. You also can "opt out" of receiving preapproved credit offers. Call (888) 5-OPTOUT for information on either of these services.

If you are a victim of identity theft, the first thing you should do is contact the fraud departments of the three major credit bureaus. According to Jennings, these companies can have a Fraud Alert/Victim Impact Statement placed on your account. This alert is a red flag to the creditors telling them to contact you for permission before they open any new accounts in your name.

The three companies are Equifax (800 525-6285, http://www.equifax.com); Experian (888 397-3742, http://www.experian.com) and Trans Union (800 680-7289, http://www.tuc.com)

Second, you should contact the fraud department of the credit card that has either been fraudulently used or opened with your personal identification information. The credit card company should mail out a fraud packet for you to complete. Immediately cancel the credit card.

Next, contact your local law enforcement agency to file a report for fraudulent use of personal identification. You should also take any additional security measures to protect your identity in case it has been compromised.

Contact all creditors to inform them of the problem. Alert your bank and have it flag your account and contact the bank if there is any suspicious activity. Request a change of your PIN, or personal identification number, and a new password on any existing credit, debit or ATM cards.

Contact the State of Florida Department of Highway and Motor Vehicles (813 971-7375) to see if a duplicate driver's license or identification card has been issued in your name. If so, request a new license. Finally, contact the Social Security Administration Hotline at (800) 269-0271 and advise it of the situation and any updates once your local law enforcement agency gets involved.

Taking these steps will not guarantee that you will not be a victim of identity theft. In a world where white-collar crime is rising, due in part to the tremendous technological growth we are experiencing, taking the time to protect yourself will be time well spent.

- Deputy Teresa F. Slattery has worked for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office for 13 years. She teaches crime prevention and safety at schools, including Schwarzkopf Elementary and several in New Tampa. You can e-mail her at tslattery@ij.net.

For recent coverage of identity theft

Man fights 'nightmare' of stolen identity (7/23/00)

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