Identity Theft Awareness, Education and Prevention
In our youth, thieves were often depicted as hoodlums who broke into our homes and stole our more precious belongings - wallets, jewelry, cash, and family heirlooms, among other things. By merely locking our doors and installing house alarms, we felt safe and secure. However, the Digital Age and the widespread use of the internet and wireless communications gave birth to a new means of stealing our money - identity theft.
Identity theft has evolved to encompass a broad range of identification-based crimes, providing the police with stolen or forged documents thereby avoid detection, money-laundering, trafficking in human beings, stock market manipulation and even to terrorism.
Characterized by their ability to steal our identities undetected, identity thieves use various means of obtaining our personal information. Whether you are a regular user of the internet or not, your personal information can be easily be obtained by an identity thief rummaging through trash, listening to phone conversations and even posing as lottery agencies giving you a phony cash reward upon receipt of a nominal fee. We may be targeted, yet may not feel the effects for months or even years late. The damage can be severe and irreversible. Victims of identity theft may lose potential job opportunties, be denied loans and credit, or even be arrested.
Two years ago, the Legislature started a task force to address identity theft to issue and discover means of protecting ourselves and prevent identity theft from occurring, the Pearl City and Aiea area legislators organized an informational presentation on Wednesday evening, February 28th. Detective Miles Jung or the Honolulu Police Department, accompanied by Officers Kongton Sitachitta and Brian Reyes of the Pearl City Police Station gave an hour-long presentation with various pamphlets on the dangers of identity theft.
Identity Theft Legislative Task Force
Shortly after 7:00 PM, Senator Ige welcomed guests and introduced area legislators to the audience. He kicked off the meeting by explaining that the government collects all sorts of personal information, which is stored in both physical and digital copies. In a few instances where federal government laptops were stolen. people's personal information was compromised. The Legislative Task Force was created to inform Hawaii State and County agencies of how to prevent constituents from being victims of identity theft.
HPD Detective Miles Jung
Detective Jung then assumed the podium, starting his hour-long presenation entitled "Identity Theft Awareness, Education and Prevention". This presentation addressed five important issues concerning identity theft:
- Defining identity theft
- What criminals do with your information
- How information is stolen
- Protecting oneself and steps to take if you are a victim
- Law enforcement's role in combating and preventing identity theft
HPD's early role in identity theft
In 2002, the Honolulu Police Department began its first attempts to investigate identity theft crimes. Prior to this, the HPD has no obligation to investigate identity theft crimes because they were not yet defined under existing laws. Since then, the Honolulu Police Department, along with the US Secret Service, Federal Trade Commission, credit card companies and banks investigated and categorized them into four groups:
- Financial Identity Theft:
- Use of another's name and social security number to obtain goods and services
- Criminal Identity Theft:
- Posing as another when apprehended for a crime
- Identity Cloning:
- Use of another's information to assume his or her identity in daily life
- Business/Commercial Identity Theft:
- Use of another's business name to obtain credit
Senior citizens were initially thought to be the primary target of identity theft crimes, however recent statistics have proven that everyone is susceptible. In most cases, identity thieves use our personal information to take out loans, create fraudulent credit cards and sometimes even make phony driver's licenses.
Last year's identity theft statistics provided by the Federal Trade Commissions were astounding: 674,354 complaints, 428,319 of which were for fraud and 246,035 categorized as identity theft. All persons filing complaints were entered into a database, providing law enforcement with information on where a victim's identity is being used for easier tracking and investigation. Although these statistics are still high, Detective Jung also pointed out that the number of identity theft cases being reported for the last year were less than previous year
| Year | Identity Theft Cases |
| 2003 | 484 |
| 2004 | 644 |
| 2005 | 727 |
| 2006 | 580 |
(
Oahu only)
Awareness of the Risks of Identity Theft
The Digital Age and Internet are not the only perpertrators of identity theft proliferation. Detective Jung pointed out that identity theft is on the rise because of drug addiction (particularly with crystal methamphetamines), easy access to public records (court cases, birth and death certificates), high profit margin for selling identity and the difficulty to identity suspects because they are operating from a remote location.
Detective Jung then demonstrated how easy it is to steal one's credit card information, often referred to as "credit card skimming". In a matter of seconds, Detective Jung scanned a credit card with a skimmer, closely resembling a credit card scanner which is frequently used at department store registers and other retail stores we visit daily. Then, Jung stored the information to his computer, explaining that this is usually send to a third party via e-mail or stored on flash drives and sold. Finally, Jung took a Longs gift card, input the credit card information into the gift card and ran it through the scanner, showing the skimmed credit card barcode. This freshly made credit card could be used at any gas station, online, via phone purchases and even some department stores.
Check washing, although not as easily performed or widely used, is another form of financial fraud.
Service fraud, typically required only one's name, address, social security number and phone number, is commonly used to assume one's identity. In California, bitter spouses are filing for bankruptcy under their estranged partner's name, temporarily ruining their credit. In other cases, identity thieves create fraudulent cellular phone accounts, internet accounts and profiles, posing as other people. Worse yet, terrorists can steal identities to gain access to secure areas, including airports, military bases and utility companies.
Detective Jung shared with the audience several videos pertaining to identity theft, starting with a personal testimony of a woman in her mid-twenties who was a victim to one of the most notorious identity thieves still at large. The victim's entire life was ruined at the hand of this identity thief, who maxed out credit cards, rented apartments, purchased a home, recieved medical treatment, obtained birth certificates, got married, and even changed the victim's legal name. After years of filing police reports, the victim is still confronted with delinquent payment notices from the hospital where the identity theif gave birth to a child with one of her three estranged husbands.
To the audience who was in utter shock and mortification at this victim, Detective Jung stated that despite the gravity of identity theft, 62% of identity theft victims do not call the police.
Prevention of Identity Theft: Tips to Follow
- Keep track of your credit card and debit accounts
- Invest in a cross-cut shredder and shred all pre-approved credit offers. If you would like to opt out of a promotional and marketing lists by calling Equifax, Experian and TransUnion at 1-888-567-8688.
- Purchase a locked, secure mailbox or P.O. Box
- Mail all postal correspondences at drop boxes or the post office
- Do not provide social security numbers without asking why it is necessary to do so
- Do not carry insurance cards or social security card in your wallet
- Request a copy of your credit report annuallly
- Report ant suspicious activity in your neighborhood, even if it may not seem major at the time
- Report anyone who is seen tampering with mailboxes or trash cans
- Install firewall software on your computer
- Restrict online purchases to secure sites you trust. You can consult your bank on the reliablity of questionable sites.
What To Do If You Are A Victim
"Call the police and file a police report," is the first thing that an identity theft victim should do, Detective Jung stressed. Many people do not file police reports in fear of retaliation since the identity theft can possibly use their personal information against them. Some even feel shame of what family and friends may think when they find out they are victims. Identity thieves often times victimize their own families and loved ones.
Notify the three credit bureaus to launch a fraud alert to your name and review your credit reports annually. You should cancel all credit and debit accoounts immediately and notify your issuing institutions. Upon placing a fraud alert, the credit bureau will contact the other two, each sending you a free copy of your credit report.
Credit Bureaus
Equifax - 1-800-525-6285
Experian - 1-888-EXPERIAN
TransUnion 1-800-680-7289
In addition to these basic tips, there are many informative websites that are easily accessible.
The Federal Trade Commission has a website dedicated to identity theft (http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/).
Please take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your loved one from financial and identity tragedy.
