Identity theft is one of those crimes that most people don’t think about until they become a victim. Identity theft is one of the easiest crimes for offenders to get away with and one of the toughest crimes for the police to solve.

Identity thieves quickly learn that stealing identities is not only easy to do but can also be very profitable. IBM reported on July 30, that the global cost of data breaches is $4.8 billion. Thieves work diligently to steal your data and your money. During the holiday season, ID thieves are on high alert for easy targets and quick scores.

It is always a good idea to be ID-theft aware. Listed below is some food for thought on this topic.

So, what are the signs of having your identity stolen? These are signs that the Federal Trade Commission says to look for:

• Unexplained charges or withdrawals from your financial accounts;

• Failure to receive bills or other mail. This could mean that an identity thief has submitted a change of address for your accounts or perhaps even stolen some mail from your mailbox;

• Receiving credit cards for which you did not apply;

Denial of credit for no apparent reason;

• Receiving calls from debt collectors or companies about merchandise or services you did not buy.

To protect you from identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission and other identity security experts suggest Americans follow these general guidelines:

• Keep your confidential information private. Your bank or credit card company won’t call or email to ask for your account information. They already have it;

• Don’t give out your personal information over the telephone, through the mail or via the Internet unless you have initiated the contact;

• Secure personal information in your home;

• Utilize passwords for your credit card, bank and phone accounts – avoid using easily available information like your mother’s maiden name, your own birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number or your phone number. Occasionally change your password and utilize long and complicated passwords which do not reference personal information about yourself. Random passwords, mixed with upper and lower case letters, numbers and punctuation are best;

• When shopping online, make sure you are utilizing legitimate and secure sites;

• Ask about the electronic information security procedures at the places that collect personal identifying information about you – like your employer, doctor’s offices and other businesses. Find out who has access to your information and verify that it is handled securely;

• Keep an inventory of everything you store in your wallet or purse including bank or credit account numbers;

• Monitor your bank and credit card transactions for unauthorized use. Guard your PIN numbers and do not write them on your bank cards or keep your PIN numbers written on other documents in your wallet or purse;

• If you conduct business online, use your own computer. A public computer is less secure, as is wireless Internet;

• Don’t store credit card numbers and other financial information on your phone;

• Check your credit history once each year through one of the three major credit reporting agencies. You can do this for free.

If you think you have been a victim of identity theft, you should immediately notify your bank, credit card companies and any other creditor you believe may be impacted. It is also vitally important that you report these crimes to the police immediately. The Marshalltown Police Department has helpful resources available to assist you as you navigate through this complicated event.

If you have any questions about identity theft, please feel free to contact me at 641-754-5771 or via email at mtupper@marshalltown-ia.gov.

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Mike Tupper is the chief of the

Marshalltown Police Department.