ID Theft: Protect and Defend Yourself

In these uncertain times, it is important to be vigilent and safeguard your personal information. To some, it may seem confusing as to what steps should be taken. 

United Hebrew of New Rochelle, in partnership with Country Bank, hosted a free identity theft seminar Thursday in the Rozen Room of UH with a panel of guest experts, to familiarize the guests and residents at the nursing home about protecting themselves from this horrific crime.

The point was, anyone could be a target for identity theft, and it's important to take specific precautions on how to defend yourself.

The panel included New Rochelle Police Commissioner Patrick Carroll; John Gaccione, acting director of the Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection, and JoAnn Mazzella Murphy, vice chairwoman of Country Bank.

Carroll said the most common forms of identity theft are scams targeting the elderly, on the internet and when people perform banking transactions.

"The scammers watch you go into the bank and they see if you're depositing money or taking it out—and the idea is they have a scam ready to go where they have a bundle of money and they want you to have it but you have to withdraw some money," Carroll said. "It works. I don't know why but people fall for it and they lose hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars. This way, they get access to your pin number or the card reader records it."

He also explained about the scam asking victims to wire money to a person in a foreign country who is supposedly sick or stuck without cash. It's all a hoax, Carroll said.

Here are some tips to protect yourself from ID theft:

• Never give out your social security number or carry the card with you.
• Shred all of your bank statements or documents that contain your personal information, and check them often online.
• Don't fill out any forms that you don't trust or that ask for your private information. Do not give it out on the phone or online.
• Don't respond to suspicious emails that say you have won a lottery, that ask for money from a foreign country or say you've inherited money but have to pay for it.
• Be aware of your surroundings and withdraw money only from a legitimate bank machine, not from an ATM in a store. They will charge hefty fees and record your card number.
• Go to www.ftc.gov or annualcreditreport.com and get a free copy of your credit report—you're entitled to one once every year. And check your report often to make sure there are no errors or scams.

• If you think you've been scammed, call your local law enforcement agency or the Westchester Consumer Protection Agency for help.

John Gaccione, Acting Director of the Westchester Consumer Protection Agency, emphasized the importance of consumers protecting themselves against identity theft.

"Be stingy with your personal information. Don't give it out unless you know who you're giving it to," Gaccione said. "Check your credit report and bank statements."

Shirley Hunter and Angonette Polcini, both of New Rochelle, attended the seminar to get some tips to guard against identity theft.

"I know the basics, that you can't give out your personal info, but I want to learn what else I can do to protect myself," said Hunter. "With all this technology, it's apparent that anyone can get onto a computer, so I'm skeptical about giving out my personal information."

Polcini said she already knew not to give out her Social Security number.

"I wanted to know what you're not supposed to provide when they ask you questions and what's necessary that's important," she said.