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Identity theft against the elderly is a growing problem.
The following is from the Faith In Action program,
Reach Out Morongo Basin in California.
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Treat your
mail and trash carefully. Put outgoing mail in a post
office collection box. Request a vacation hold when you
will be away by calling your local post office.
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Tear or shred
your charge/debit receipts, copies of credit applications,
insurance forms, physician statements, expired credit/debit
cards you are discarding and credit offers you receive in
the mail.
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Do not carry
your Social Security Card. Leave it in a secure place.
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Give your
social security number only when absolutely necessary. Ask
to use other types of identifiers.
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Carry only the
identification information and credit/debit cards that you
will actually need while you are out.
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Be cautious
when responding to promotions. Identity thieves may create
phony promotional offers to obtain your personal
information. If you receive a call from someone claiming to
be from your bank needing to verify some information, ask
for their name and tell them you will call them back. Do
not call the number they give you. Look the phone number up
in the phone book. If your bank did not call you, call the
police and let them know someone was trying to get your
personal information.
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Pick up new
checks directly from the bank instead of having them mailed
to you.
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Call the
police and report if you think you are a victim of identify
theft. |
