Identity Theft
Posted by Bill Molesworth
Jamie Tripp introduced Constable Peter Leon of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP office. Jamie has conducted in depth research through Peter's garbage can and has discovered that Peter started his police career in 1988 with the Toronto force, serving in 31 and 12 Divisions, both of which offer major policing challenges. He moved to the OPP office in Shelburne in 97, became the Region's Media Relations Officer in 98, has worked in Springwater and with Crime Stopper's and has patrolled the 400. Now he works out of the Penetang office. He's married with 2 children and his wife is also a police officer.
Constable Leon said he enjoyed his current position but was distressed by the increase in the rate of frauds and the change in their nature. People have learned, mostly, not to open their doors to strangers or accept offers that are too good to be true, but ID theft is done without the individual's knowledge. It's only discovered after the fact, when the credit card bills start coming in. It's scary, it's real and it's not going away.
Criminals will go to amazing lengths and they're bringing their expertise up the highway to the smaller communities, which is why his job was created.
ID theft is when someone appropriates personal information for use in the committing of offences. They obtain this information by stealing mail, breaking into cars, going through garbage or recycling. Any letter from any government has some identifying info on it.
Don't carry ID you don't need - do you have your Social Security Card on you? Why? What if you lose it?
Some criminals will trade bits of info on the net, helping each other build up profiles of different people. Use a shredder on everything. Take mailing labels off magazines. Watch for a break in mail delivery - someone may have opened a PO Box in your name and be stealing your mail. Huge charges can be put against your name and it can take years to get your credit back. Crimes can be conducted in you name and people have been arrested during traffic stops because a warrant is out for someone who's obtained a fraudulent driver's licence. Never give out personal info over the phone.
The local OPP, working with the Midland Police, have had some successes and they continue to pursue every avenue, but the technology leapfrogs - criminals use a new technique, the cops catch up and it starts again. The best defence is personal alertness.
Criminals will go to amazing lengths and they're bringing their expertise up the highway to the smaller communities, which is why his job was created.
ID theft is when someone appropriates personal information for use in the committing of offences. They obtain this information by stealing mail, breaking into cars, going through garbage or recycling. Any letter from any government has some identifying info on it.
Don't carry ID you don't need - do you have your Social Security Card on you? Why? What if you lose it?
Some criminals will trade bits of info on the net, helping each other build up profiles of different people. Use a shredder on everything. Take mailing labels off magazines. Watch for a break in mail delivery - someone may have opened a PO Box in your name and be stealing your mail. Huge charges can be put against your name and it can take years to get your credit back. Crimes can be conducted in you name and people have been arrested during traffic stops because a warrant is out for someone who's obtained a fraudulent driver's licence. Never give out personal info over the phone.
The local OPP, working with the Midland Police, have had some successes and they continue to pursue every avenue, but the technology leapfrogs - criminals use a new technique, the cops catch up and it starts again. The best defence is personal alertness.