Quick Poll

Is Memorial Day an 'off day' for you or a 'work day' with your business open?

Recent Polls

Blogs

Angela McRae

Tea with friends

Deberah Williams

Everyday Finesse

Lorrie Lynch

Who's News

Published Sunday, February 01, 2009 in Local

NPD warns of Internet identity theft scams

Newnan Police Department has issued a warning advising citizens to beware of Internet identity theft scams.

The advisory says, "The City of Newnan Police would like to remind all citizens about Internet identity scams. These kinds of e-mails can be sent to you at any time.

Recently, the City of Newnan Police received a mass e-mail from Douglas Randall claiming the recipients won money only if they sent their personal information including bank accounts to him. Please do not send any of your personal information over the Internet. Citizens need to stay alert to these kinds of e-mails and be vigilant in not falling for the these scams.

"Identity theft and fraud occur when someone gets access to your personal information, such as credit card accounts, Social Security and driver's license numbers or bank information. That person then uses that obtained information to apply for a credit card, make unauthorized purchases or apply for a loan in your name.

"Often you do not realize that you have been a victim of identity theft or fraud until you receive a call from a collection agency about a bill that you did not charge. Or you get your monthly credit card statement and find purchases on the bill that you did not make. By this time it will require some time and effort on your part to set the various records straight and clean up your accounts."

The NPD also gave the following tips about protecting yourself from identity theft and fraud:

--First, keep your personal information private and in a secure location. Do not offer your sensitive information to anyone over the phone or via the Internet unless you are confident that it is a legitimate business. Never give out your Social Security number unless it is absolutely necessary. Don't keep documents with account numbers or passwords in your car, where someone could find them easily if your car was broken into.

--Shred any and all documents that contain important financial information, as well as your address and phone number before throwing them away. If you do lose your purse or wallet, report the incident immediately to all necessary companies, including credit reporting agencies. This will ensure that banks and credit card companies will be on the lookout for identity theft and fraud on your account.

Comment On This Story

Times-Herald.com does not necessarily agree with the comments posted below. Responsibility of comments rests solely with the writer. Comments posted in ALL CAPS will be deleted.

Submission of a comment does not guarantee publication. Comments will be posted by a moderator after being scanned for abusive language, relevance, etc. See our Comments FAQ for more details.