The Alexander City Outlook

Bank users get lesson on ID theft prevention

Wanda Whitehead said it felt like a kick in the gut when she discovered three outgoing checks had been taken from her mailbox and cashed at various stores.

Attempting to pay $180 worth of bills turned into a $1,200 problem for her and her husband Charles.

The couple said they were forced to close their bank account at Aliant and cancel their debit cards because of the ordeal, but the problem was eventually taken care of.

“We were able to get our money back,” Wanda Whitehead said. “That was a plus for us.”

The Whiteheads were special guests Tuesday evening at a seminar on identity theft protection hosted by Aliant Bank. In addition to hearing their story, visitors to the bank received tips on how to prevent, detect and defend against identity theft from Alexander City Police Sgt. James Orr.

Orr explained that identity theft occurs when someone steals personal information and uses it to commit fraud and it can be costly. He said there are several ways a thief can get personal information from you and there are several different ways they can use it.

Orr told visitors to avoid giving out personal information unsolicited over the phone or Web. He said never click on a suspicious link while surfing the Web also as they could be viruses that search for personal information. He added that all financial documents and others that provide personal information should be shredded to avoid having the information stolen from the garbage.

“A thief will get dirty to get your information that’s why you have to take steps to protect your information,” Orr said.

Orr told visitors to memorize their Social Security numbers and to never carry the card with on their person.

“Don’t keep Social Security cards with you,” he said. “Put them in a safe place.”

He also suggested keeping passwords private and make them harder to figure out.

Orr also told visitors to stay alert for any mail of bills that don’t arrive. He suggested routinely monitoring financial accounts and billing statements.

Federal law gives everyone a free credit report annually from each of the three credit bureaus. An easy way to access this information is at www.annualcreditreport.com via the Web or by phone at 1-877-322-8228.

Orr also gave advice to those who may have been victims of identity theft. He said victims should place a fraud alert on your Social Security number with all three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Victims should close all of their accounts, file a police report and contact the Federal Trade Commission.