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| Growing Identity Theft Problem |
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| Kevin Flanigan |
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4/16/2009 - ALTOONA, BLAIR COUTY - The people who track criminal activity across the region see a growing Identity Theft problem. Especially when a lot of people are struggling to get by in the current economy, stolen personal information is a big concern. It appears there are a couple of reasons the amount of identity theft has been going up. Chief among them is a growing opportunity for committing this type of crime.
The people who deal with the victims of identity theft say one big problem is that often the victims are unaware a crime has been committed until long after their financial affairs have been compromised. Most of those victims are elderly and can be unaware it is actually occurring because they are not generally taking out mortgage loans or car loans. Because of the damage that can be done to these victims, law enforcement agencies say Identity Theft is a significant concern. A troubling aspect of identity theft is that most of time, the crime is committed by someone the victim knows. That's why preventing access to sensitive information can be so difficult. People come into the homes of victims and have access to paper work, bank statements credit card offers they get in the mail. By simply picking those items up that can start the ball rolling on the identity theft.
When it comes to preventing identity theft the burden really does fall on the individual consumers. That's why being careful about how you handle your own paperwork is a key to protecting yourself. Experts say the best way to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft is to carefull control over your sensitive information. That including everything from how you dispose of your trash to who has access to your banking and other financial information. |
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