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Community
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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:
- Alert your financial
institution immediately
- 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,
