Forum to help seniors avoid identity theft

You would probably know fairly quickly if your wallet, purse or car had been stolen. Walking into your house, you probably could tell immediately if it had been burglarized. But how would you know if your identity had been filched and was being used by criminals?

“This is one of those subjects that you never know when you’ll need the information,” said Charlie Sias, chairman of the Penobscot County Area TRIAD, an organization comprising law enforcement, Eastern Agency on Aging and other social service agencies. Also included are senior citizens with a goal of protecting older people from becoming victims of crime. “Identity theft is a big problem and it is getting worse.”

Penobscot County Sheriff Glenn Ross agrees.

“Citizens of Maine are not sheltered from incidents of identity theft,” he said. “Every year in Maine, police and sheriff’s departments investigate the misuse of credit and account information, leaving victims with often little chance for the identification of the perpetrator.”

Identity theft targeting seniors has increased 200 percent nationally in the past two years, Sias added. “People need to know what to do in case they are victimized, and how to protect themselves.”

And now they can. TRIAD, in collaboration with the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Maine, and the Maine Attorney General’s Office is holding an identity theft forum titled “Operation Identity Crisis” from 9:30 a.m. to noon Friday, April 29, at the Spectacular Event Center, Bangor. The forum is free and includes a continental breakfast.

There also will be a place to dispose of prescriptions that are expired or no longer of use, as part of TRIAD’s Drug Drop-Off Program. TRIAD recommends these medications not be stored in your home because they could be stolen, or taken by mistake. Keep only the prescriptions on hand that you currently use. Call EAA at 941-2865 to register for the forum.

So just how does identity theft occur?

Well, criminals are becoming more skilled and creative at gaining your personal information, sometimes even stealing the information from their places of business. For instance, they could steal the company’s records or hack into the computer.

Other methods include: rummaging through the trash looking for receipts (so shred important papers), stealing mail such as credit card offers and bank statements and filling them out in your name, and posing as a legitimate businessperson or government official on the phone.

Once a crook has your personal information in hand and new credit cards have been issued – the bills for which having been routed to a different address so you will never see them – the shopping begins.

Often computers and things of that sort are purchased and then resold for cash.

There are several ways to tell if you are a victim of identity theft, including an unexpected denial for credit, calls from debt collectors and companies with whom you do not do business and a reduction of mail received – which could indicate that someone has filed a change of address on you.

There are steps you can take to protect yourself.

. Get a copy of your credit report from one of the three credit bureaus and check it for errors. If you would like a list of the bureaus and their phone numbers, call Eastern Agency on Aging and we will send one to you.

. If you find inaccuracies in your credit report, act immediately. Contact the credit bureau.

. As always, do not give out personal information unless you are certain how it will be used – especially over the phone or the Internet. Be especially mindful of divulging your Social Security number. You have a right to ask questions such as, “How do you protect my number from being stolen?” and “What will happen if I don’t give it to you?” Sometimes you may not get the service you are requesting if you refuse to give up the number, but the choice is yours to make.

In any case, try beating these heartless thieves at their own game. Stay informed on the latest scams. Make it hard for them to victimize you by being careful, forever diligent, and by notifying the authorities immediately if you think you have been defrauded. Even if you are unsure, call the police anyway. It is better to alert them early than to wait and have an even bigger mess on your hands.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA, call 941-2865 or log on www.eaaa.org.