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Common
Scams
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Identity
Theft is the theft of important information
about you, like your:
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Name
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Address
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Social
Security #
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Date
of Birth
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Mother's
Maiden Name
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of this infomation enables criminals to take
over your financial accounts, open new accounts,
apply for credit cards or loans, social security
benefits and use rental services. Identity thieves
spend as much money as possible before the victim
realizes there is a problem. |
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Protect
Yourself
* Don't give out personal information.
* Shred any documents or credit cards
that you discard of.
* Keep track of your purse or wallet.
* Retrieve your mail from your
mailbox promptly.
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Please
use the following links
for further information on
Identity Theft
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ID
Theft, Fraud and Phishing Updates
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PHISHING
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"Phishing" emails
(pronounced "fishing") are fraudulent emails
sent by identity thieves in an attempt to collect your
personal information. These emails look authentic and
appear to come from legitimate companies you may do business
with. The good news is that YOU have the power to PROTECT
YOURSELF!
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Never
provide personal & financial information
over the phone
or Internet if you did not initiate the contact
Never click on a link or provide
information if an email looks at all suspicious to you
Do not be intimidated by an email
or caller who suggests dire consequences
if you do not provide or verify information
Don't trust an email just because
it looks legitimate; images and logos can be forged
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The "Account
Manager" Scam
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An
email or web advertisement offering you to "work
at home" by being an "account manager" or "money
transfer agent" and earn "commissions".
They transfer money OUT of an unsuspecting person's account
and into yours. Once the money is in your account, they
ask you to send the money to them via Western Union.
The lure is that they allow you to keep a percentage
of the money. You have no idea where the money is coming
from, where it's going to or the purpose it's being used
for.
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Online "Shoppers"
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You
list an item on an online auction and are contacted by
a potential buyer from Nigeria or Africa. Once a deal
is reached, they send you a cashier's check to pay for
the item. The check is written for a considerable amount
in excess of the price. You are to deposit the check
and wire the excess funds back to the buyer. Within a
week, the credit union is notified that the check is
a worthless counterfeit and you are out a large sum of
money.
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Foreign
Lottery
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You
receive an unsolicited letter, email or fax indicating
that you've won the lottery in a foreign country. In
order to receive your "prize", you must first
remit a "contest fee". Needless to say, once
the "fees" were remitted, the "prize" never
arrives. What makes this worse is that, in some cases,
victims may have given out personal or financial information
in the process.
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What
to do if you fall victim:
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Alert your financial
institution immediately
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If you have disclosed
sensitive information,
contact the major credit bureaus and place a fraud alert
on your file
to prevent new accounts from being opened in your name.
- File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission
at www.consumer.gov/idtheft
or call their hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT
- Monitor your accounts and credit
report closely
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Patrol
has taken reports from citizens concerning suspicious
phone calls from individuals posing as bank employees.
These callers request sensitive information, and
threaten to close the accounts of those called.
Advise the caller you will take the matter up with
your bank in person and advise your bank of the
phone call. Try not to give out any personal information
on the telephone. |
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Door-to-
Door Scams and Solicatation
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has taken reports from citizens of suspicious persons
that come to their door and advise of needed home
repairs. There are 2 common scams, the driveway
scam and the roof scam. In the driveway scam, homeowners
are advised that their driveway is in need of seal
coating. After an exchange of funds, the driveway
is either painted black or coated with roofing
oil, which does not protect your driveway. In the
roof scam, homeowners are advised they need roof
work to not void a previous work warrantee or leaks
of some kind. Several different crimes are possible
here. In some cases homeowners can be billed for
undone work, or in other cases the worker takes
up the homeowner's concentration and another criminal
enters the home and burglarizes it during the scam.
This scam is mostly tried on the elderly. |
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If workers
come to your home and advise you that you need
repairs, request to see their License to work
in the Village of Worth. All contractors and
businesses that operate in the village must be
licensed and bonded. Do not hesitate to Call
Police for assistance when confronted at your
home by "business" men who try to hard
sell you into something. Do not do business with
unlicensed companies or workers. If the contractor
fails to repair damage caused by them, the $10,000
bond can be used. If the contractor is not licensed
and bonded, then you forfeit that ability to
have the Village of Worth assist you with a problem
with that contractor. In addition, hiring non
licensed and bonded contractors may result in
citations being issued. |
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Do
not open your door to anyone you don't know.
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If
they claim to be the police, call 911 to verify that
officer's identity. All Village of Worth Water Department
and Public Works employees have identification badges
indicating their identity and position.
It
was brought to our attention that an individual claiming
to be a gas inspector arrived on the scene of a motor
vehicle accident involving a building and attempted
to inspect the damage to the gas lines. Call the police
if a village employee or inspector cannot produce the
appropriate identification.
Door
to door solicitors must have a permit and register with
the police department unless they are with a charitable
organization or church. Even
if they are with a charitable organization or church, you
can still call to have the police verify their identity.
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All
door-to-door solicitation must stop at 9PM per
a Supreme Court ruling.
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When
Outside the Home
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Lock
Your Car / Vehicle Theft
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Patrol has
taken reports from numerous citizens that left their
cars unlocked and during the night unknown subjects
entered the vehicle and stole whatever they could get
their hands on. This has happened even when the vehicle
was parked in the driveway, by the house, in a well
lighted area.
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Help
us help you by LOCKING your car.
Do not leave valuables visible in the window even when
locked.
Do not leave GPS units on your dash or in plain
view,
take them inside or hide them under the seat!
Do not leave the keys of your car inside your car.
Patrol has taken reports of vehicles stolen as a result.
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| Know your apartment
or condo association policy on guest parking. Vehicles
are being towed by contracted towing services because
they were parked against the rules of your apartment
or condo association. These are not police tows and your
recourse is a civil matter. Parking lots with these policies
in effect have a sign posted with a phone number where
you can call about your vehicle's status. If the towing
company does not know the status of your vehicle, call
the police immediately. |
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Home
Burglaries and Security
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Neighborhood
Watch Concern: Home
Burglaries mostly occur during the day.
Your
home may be at risk, check your doors, locks,
windows and lighting.
Make use of Beware
of Dog and Burglar
Alarm signs.
Videotape valuables for insurance purposes.
Engrave your drivers license number on valuables when
possible.
Get a safe for valuables and important
papers, one that is 500lbs or more in weight.
Smaller safes can be carried
away.
If
you return home and discover you have been burglarized:
Do not enter the residence as offenders may still be
inside.
Entering the residence will contaminate evidence needed
to solve the crime.
CALL THE POLICE
IMMEDIATELY
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Offer
to repair your car,
