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Identity Theft

Identity theft is becoming one of the fastest growing crimes in America. An estimated 10 million incidents were reported last year.

What is identity theft?

Identity theft (also called identity fraud) happens when a person steals a victim’s identifying information and uses it to get credit, credit cards, apply for bank loans and even steal money from existing accounts. Due to the nature of the crime, the victim may not know that this has happened to them for months or even years. Most victims find out that they have been taken advantage of when they apply for a loan or when creditors call trying to collect on the debts the criminal racks up. The crimes involving identity theft can range from traffic violations to felonies.

How does identity theft happen?

Identity theft is a crime that is fairly easy to commit; all that is needed is a Social Security Number, name, birth date and possibly other identifying information such as an address. After this information has been obtained, it is fairly easy to get a credit card in your name, a driver’s license  or a loan to buy a car. Once the thief gets this information and opens the first account, subsequent accounts are easier to open.

Ways to prevent identity theft in the workplace

• Password protect sensitive information with non- dictionary passwords and change the passwords frequently  (30 days is recommended)
• Shred documents that contain personal information about employees, students or anybody that you have contact with
• Do not use Social Security Numbers as a form of identification.
• Don’t give out your Social Security Number. This is a gold mine for a identity thief.
• Check your credit regularly; about every six months is best.
• Purchase a shredder and shred all documents before putting them in the trash. Getting applications for credit cards, loans or other things can be achieved just by going through a person’s trash.

Lock Your Computer

If you are going to be away from your workstation for a while, make sure your computer is locked.  This will
require you to re-enter your password before you can use your computer again.  To perform this task:

• On your keyboard, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete at the same time, then click Lock Computer.

To unlock your computer:

• Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete again, then type your password in and click OK.