McDowell Meadows

IDENTITY THEFT

Jan 22, 2005

A note of caution from the City of Charlotte Government Services and Information.

Identity theft is the #1 crime in the U.S. and there were nearly 10 million victims last year.

With the holiday season in full swing it may be easy to forget this time of the year is prime for ID thieves to strike. Crowed stores and hurried shoppers can lead to the careless handling of private documents. These conditions are ideal for thieves to steal your identity and gain access to your personal information. Here are a few safety tips to remember:
1- Shred all important documents before throwing them away,
2- Memorize SS# and passwords,
3- do not put your telephone number on your checks,
4- get credit cards with your picture on them,
5- monitor all bank and credit card statements every month,
6- cancel all credit cards you do not use.

For more information visit these web sites:
cmpd.org
consumer.gov/idtheft