Identity Theft - Fraud Identity theft is the general term for crimes involving the fraudulent use of your name, date of birth, social security number, or unlawful use of your credit cards, personal checks, or other securities. Identity theft is a serious crime. Victims whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years – and their hard earned money – clearing their good names and credit histories. Due to theft of their identities, some victims have been refused loans for education, housing or cars; have lost job opportunities; or have even been arrested for crimes they didn’t commit. Skilled thieves gain access to your personal information by:
How to Know If You Are a Victim of Identity Theft? You can minimize your risk by cautiously managing your personal information. Frequently monitor the balances of your financial accounts. Look for unexplained charges or withdrawals. Other indications of identity theft can be:
If you discover you are a victim of identity theft, or your personal information has been lost or stolen, immediately report the incident to police. Notify the jurisdiction where the incident took place. The police will need the account numbers of the missing credit cards or check numbers. The information will be documented in the report, and stolen items entered in a police database. Once police have documented your information, you will be issued a case number assigned for that report. Keep the case number. You may need it to validate your claims to creditors. In addition, contact your banking institutions and credit card companies as soon as possible. These businesses will either close the account numbers in question, or place a Fraud Alert hold prohibiting use of those accounts. Inform them of the police agency taking the report, and provide them with the report case number. If your banking institution does not already provide you with credit report information, you may order credit reports through any of three major credit bureaus: Equifax – www.equifax.com Experian – www.experian.com TransUnion – www.transunion.com Manage Your Personal Information A responsible consumer can minimize the risk of identity theft by exercising caution and prudence.
The information provided was acquired through the Bureau of Consumer Protection, United States Federal Trade Commission. Prevent Theft and Damage to Your Vehicles A significant number of police reports taken involve thefts from motor vehicles. Many of these thefts could have been prevented, by simply removing the valuables from the unattended automobiles. Leaving backpacks, book bags, purses, or briefcases inside an unattended vehicle is an open invitation for thieves to steal your property. Excuses include, “I was only gone for a few minutes.” It takes mere seconds to smash a window to grab valuables inside. Far too often citizens have arrived at a shopping mall where they immediately secured valuables by putting them in the trunk of their cars. Thieves know this, and are watching everything occurring in the parking lot. Once the vehicle is left unattended, it takes a screwdriver and very little time to punch the lock and gain access to the ‘supposed hidden’ property. If you can’t take the valuables with you, but intend to secure them in the trunk of your vehicle, do this before arriving at your destination. In our twenty-first century techno society, it is common to find people owning the latest and greatest electronic gadgets for use in their vehicles. Dashboard mounted GPS (global positioning satellite) navigation systems, radar detectors, cellular phone/IPODs, and other devices left in vehicles are open invitation for thieves to break into the vehicles. Remove the theft incentive, and thieves are less likely to target your vehicle. Take these items with you when the vehicle is left unattended. Do not rely solely on a security alarm to protect the contents of your vehicle. To break a window and grab valuables takes mere seconds. Thieves won’t stick around long enough to get caught, and usually vanish long before someone investigates why the security alarm sounded. “Stranger Danger,” Child Safety Information, and What Parents Need to Know About Preventing Child Sex Abuse A parent’s worst nightmare is the fear someone could intentionally cause harm to his/her child. There are varieties of safety programs aimed at teaching children to recognize the dangers of interacting with strangers. Most of the training involves avoidance techniques, such as refusing to approach people inside vehicles, or running away when a stranger tries to talk to them. There is certainly nothing wrong with this type of training, but studies have shown young children do not yet have the intellectual capacity to know what the word ‘stranger’ means, nor at what point a situation becomes dangerous. As an example, local elementary schools asked a Milwaukie Police Officer to speak about ‘stranger danger’ to kindergarten, first and second grade students. Nearly all the children described a ‘stranger’ as a dirty, long-haired homeless person living under a bridge. During the safety lesson, each learned that a stranger is anyone the child, or the child’s parents do not know very well. The lesson included instructions on what the children should do if someone stopped in a car tried to talk to them while they walked to school. Each student eagerly recited the correct answer, “Stay away, run away, and tell a parent or a teacher!” The lesson included examples of how a stranger might try to trick them, such as offering candy, asking for directions, or begging for help to find a lost puppy. Immediately after the lesson, the kids were sent outside for recess. As the teachers and the police officer watched, an unfamiliar car stopped near the playground. A man inside the car called to the children, asking who wanted some candy. Without the slightest hesitation, 85 percent of the children ran over to the man inside the car! The man in the car was part of a pre-arranged test to determine if the children had retained or even understood what had just been taught in class. This experiment showed that although young children could repeat information learned, they did not yet have the capacity to comprehend how or when that information is useful. The Oregon Chapter of The Red Cross suggests that a responsible 10-year-old has the decision making skills necessary to baby-sit. Oregon State Law specifies children less than 10 years of age cannot be left unsupervised. Children rely on their parents or other adult guardians to keep them safe from harm. It is the parent or other adult guardians’ responsibility to ensure their children are properly supervised at all times. Once the child has reached a maturity level allowing more freedom and less parental supervision, it is still the parents’ responsibility to know where and with whom their children interact. Although unpopular with the teens and ‘tweens, to minimize risky behavior, parents should know the answers to these questions:
It is in our nature to fear and distrust strangers. Much of what our children learn about safety is related to stranger avoidance. Unfortunately, statistics prove children are physically and sexually assaulted or exploited more often by family members, relatives, and long-time friends. The majority of criminal investigations related to child physical or sexual abuse involve adults known to the family, or relatives the child trusted. Although this is an uncomfortable topic to discuss with our children, it is imperative children receive the information and support necessary to minimize the risk of physical or sexual abuse. If your child confides that he or she is a victim of sexual abuse, immediately contact the police. Most important is prompt medical evaluation to treat any physical injuries and reduce the risk of certain types of communicable diseases to which the child may have been exposed. Certain types of evidence dissipate over time. Details of the event are sometimes forgotten or tainted by outside influences unless promptly documented by a police or medical person qualified to perform the interview. Counseling programs are available to support the victim of such trauma, and help the family cope with the potential ongoing consequences surrounding such an incident. Residential Crime Prevention, Through Environmental Design and Neighbor Networking Much has changed in the layout and structure of residential homes and yard space since the era of pre-1950s America. Suburban homes on residential streets were commonly built offering generous front porches where families congregated after returning home from school and work. The front porch invited social networking of neighbors. Children playing in the neighborhood could be casually monitored by adults on the porch. Nostalgia aside, the design of the home, in combination with the culture of the times likely prevented much of the vandalism and crimes being experienced now, in the twenty-first century. Higher population density, busy lifestyles and chronic daily work stress has changed the focus on how we live and use our homes and property. After a stressful day, all a worker wants to do is go home and decompress. Many homes and yards are now designed to take advantage of personal privacy. Often called ‘cocooning’ people prefer the seclusion of a fenced backyard, or close themselves off from the rest of the world in the privacy of the family room or basement inside the house. Blinds cover the windows. Fence walls, tall shrubs and hedges obscure the view of the front yard from the street. The need for privacy often outweighs the potential risk of becoming a crime victim. There are simple and inexpensive ways of altering the appearance of the yard and home exterior that help to deter crime, while still maintaining a sense of privacy:
Additional suggestions:
Preventing crime in your neighborhood and within the City of Milwaukie requires the partnership of its citizens, businesses, schools, neighborhood associations, various city departments, Milwaukie City Government, and Police services. Together, we can make a difference.
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