At our regular BlockWatch meeting on January 17 Officer Kevin Cays from the Bothell Police Department presented a "top ten list" of ways to prevent identity theft:
1. Guard your mail. Deposit outgoing mail at the post office. Get a locking mailbox.
2. Shred, tear or cut up papers with personal information, charge receipts,
bank statements, expired credit cards and credit offers.
3. Do not leave personal information in your vehicle.
4. Keep personal information in your home in a safe place.
5. Do not give out personal information over the phone. Limit the personal information you give out to anyone at one time.
6. Reduce the number of cards you carry.
7. Carefully review your credit card bills for any unauthorized charges.
8. Pay attention to billing cycles and call the creditors right away if something doesn't look right.
9. Be aware of skimming devices on ATM machines, as well as individuals attempting to observe you entering your pin numbers.
10. Get a copy of your credit report at least once a year and check for errors.
http://www.annualcreditreport.com/
Information about identity theft is also available on the Bothell Police Department web site:
http://www.ci.bothell.wa.us/dept/pd/crimeprevention/IdentityTheft.html
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