KGVY Radio, Monday, February 25, 2008

Green Valley Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers

Bill Roskey

Increasingly, Green Valley residents are reporting identity thefts and attempted identity thefts to SAV. Just this past week, the IRS informed one woman that someone else has been using her Social Security Number. In another case, upon being told that her former employer had lost personnel information regarding some of its retirees, a resident learned that someone had opened an account using her Social Security Number and date of birth. In yet another case, a Green Valley man received a phone call from a man claiming to be with Medicare. The caller told him to destroy his Medicare card because he would be getting a new one. The man also asked him for personal information, at which point the Green Valley resident hung up, saying he would not give out any personal data over the phone. The individual called back immediately, becoming irate, and the Green Valley man hung up again. The call was placed in Bismarck, North Dakota from a number that is no longer in use. SAV reminds Green Valley residents that legitimate government agencies will not ask for personal data over the phone, and if people claim to be from your bank or credit card company and say they just want to “verify” things like your account number, date of birth, Social Security Number, and similar items of information, don’t fall for it.

Green Valley SAV reminds everyone that credit card fraud continues to happen, with individuals using lost and stolen credit cards, so be careful. Just this past week a man used a Green Valley woman’s credit card to run up a dozen charges in a very short time. It appears that she may have lost her card when she stopped to buy gas. Self service pumps are handy, but it’s easy to place your card on top of the pump for a minute while you gas the car, then drive off forgetting it.