Real Estate Investment Articles

Identity theft can happen to anyone

By: Phillip Hemphill, Staff Writer

One OCCC employee knows first hand the trauma of identity theft.

Jessica Martinez-Brooks, Media Relations coordinator, was victimized when her purse, containing her driver’s license and credit cards, were stolen from her car several years ago. It took two years to correct the damage, she said.

Martinez-Brooks is not the only victim.

One in 20 adults is the victim of identity theft, according to research conducted by the Federal Trade Commission.

Identity theft, according to a story by Security expert Chris McGoey, is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world. He reports that in America alone, roughly 11.8 million people have been victimized.

Brooks’ identity was stolen when her car was broken into and her purse taken.

owever, people’s identities can be stolen in many ways, some more subtle, said FTC spokeswoman Claudia Bourne-Farrell during a phone interview.

She said the most common type of identity theft is the unauthorized use of credit cards.

Other types of identity theft, according the FTC website, are:

•Dumpster Diving: Thieves rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it.

•Skimming: Thieves steal credit or debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card.

•Phishing: Thieves pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.

•Changing Your Address: Thieves divert your billing statements to another location by completing a “change of address” form.

•“Old-Fashioned” Stealing: Thieves steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records from their employers, or bribe employees who have access.

Bourne-Farrell said many times, a person is a victim of identity theft without knowing his or her identity has been stolen.

And the damage inflicted is often traumatic, she said.

Bourne-Farrell said victims’ credit could be scarred or ruined, items can be repossessed and those wanting to purchase their first home or automobile could be denied.

Martinez-Brooks was one such person.

“After my purse was stolen I tried to rent a house with my [future] husband and my credit report stated I wasn’t approved.”

Brooks said when she took a closer look at her credit report, she saw something unusual.

“[The credit report] stated that I had an outstanding cable bill in Louisiana,” Martinez-Brooks said. “How could I have a cable bill in Louisiana when I live in Oklahoma?”

Martinez-Brooks said the person who stole her purse had set up residency in Louisiana and used her credit card to pay bills.

“It took two years to clean the mess up,” she said. “I had to call Cox Communications and explain to them that the bill did not belong to me.”

Often the situation can get even worse, Bourne-Farrell said. Thieves can give the stolen name to police if they are arrested and then, when they fail to show up for a court date, a warrant would be issued in the victim’s name.

Bourne-Farrell said peo-ple can take steps to minimize the risk but said identity theft cannot be entirely prevented. Tips to minimize identity theft could be found on www.consumer. gov/id.

“If a someone’s identity is stolen,” Bourne-Farrell said, “they should file a police report, call identity fraud agencies, and close all existing accounts (bank and credit) and open new ones that are password protected.”

When personal information is stolen and victims report the crime, it can take hours, days and even months for victims to redeem their reputation, she said.

(This is the first story in a two-part series. Next week, the Pioneer will tell readers steps they can take to avoid handing someone personal information when selling or throwing out unwanted computers or cell phones.)

Staff Writer Phillip Hemp hill can be reached at SeniorWriter@occc.edu.

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