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Entry bubble Prevent Crime

By: Jake | August 11, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

In February a New Jersey news station wanted to see how people reacted when they witnessed a crime. They set up a scenario where actors stole wallets from other actors at a restaurant and then filmed the reactions of restaurant patrons. Many people didn't do anything until the victims noticed their wallet was gone, that's when they sprang into action. Those who did react generally went into full force—one lady chased a purse snatcher out the door and one guy even punched out the staged culprit.Handcuffs

My girlfriend and I recently witnessed someone steal a pair of headphones from a store in the mall. My girlfriend wanted to stop the thief and I thought we didn't need to do anything because the store alarm would go off when the person left. It didn't go off.

So we were left with a dilemma, should we chase after her or notify the staff? Since we didn't know if our thief was armed, we opted to notify the store's staff. They thanked us and told us it wasn't our responsibility to chase down thieves. We were a little taken aback since they didn't think it was necessary to catch the culprit (who was still in the mall) and made fun of us when we pressed the issue. We wrote a complaint letter to the company.

If you find yourself in a situation where you are an eyewitness to a crime, it's a good idea to tell the victim or store before you storm off to chase the culprit down (if you are so inclined). If you are a victim of a crime, you can search for various types of victim's assistance at the U.S. Department of Justice's Directory of Victim Services web page.

If you witness or suspect other types of criminal activity such as illegal drug smuggling, Internet crime, or even happen upon a suspicious package, you can find the appropriate contact on our Pueblo website. Remember though that the best place to go to report any crime is your local police department.

Have you ever witnessed a crime? If so, what did you do?

| View Comments [6] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: crime   crime_prevention   criminal   jake   police   prevent_crime   theft  

 

Entry bubble ATM Safety

By: Colleen | July 09, 2008 | Category: Money

I pretty much live in a cashless universe. It's a rare day when I have over two dollars in my wallet. ATM

I've been just fine using my credit/debit card for pretty much everything. In the rare occasion I need cash, I simply make a withdrawal (or "tap MAC" as Philly folks say) from whatever ATM is closest.

This was not something I ever thought twice about until recently when ATM safety came up in the news.

In an era of identity theft, we have to be super careful to protect all of our private information. Apparently, it's very easy for an ATM machine to retain your account information after you've swiped your card. This is particularly more common for machines found at convenience stores or bars and restaurants. Using an ATM at your bank's branch office is much safer, as they are videotaped and constantly maintained.

Another thing you must be mindful of is your PIN. It should be changed frequently (strike one for me) and a different number should be used for each account (strike two).

To protect yourself, it's important to monitor your account frequently. Keep ATM use to your bank. And always select the "credit" option over "debit" to minimize PIN usage.

Have you been a victim of ATM identity theft? Any pointers?

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: atm   colleen   credit   debit   identity   money   safety   theft  

 

Entry bubble Credit Card Offers

By: Colleen | May 07, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

Few things are consistent in life. The alarm clock doesn't always go off when it's set. The Patriots ruin a perfectcredit card season by choking in the Super Bowl. A bright and sunny Saturday can turn to thunderstorms in the blink of an eye.

As far as I can tell, I can guarantee only two things:

  • If I am wearing white to dinner, something with spaghetti sauce will be served.
  • At least three times a week I will find a credit card offer in my mailbox.

Wearing white will never stop me from eating spaghetti, but I can help eliminate the seemingly endless stream of credit card offers.

Receiving these offers makes you a target for identity theft. To prevent your information from falling into the wrong hands, you should "opt out" of pre-approved offers.

You can opt out for five years or permanently.

Eliminating these offers helps protect your identity and is also eco-friendly. You're saving paper and creating less waste. It is reported that my generation is in an endless cycle of post-graduation credit card debt—so the fewer offers you get, the less temptation you have to add another card to that bulging wallet.

| View Comments [9] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: card   colleen   credit   identity   mail   offers   theft  

 

Entry bubble The Hassles of a Stolen Wallet

By: Nicole | April 25, 2008 | Category: Money

Purse Theft

A scary thing happened to me Tuesday night. I was shooting pool with some friends when a stranger tried to snatch my purse. I couldn’t believe it. My purse was a mere five feet away. The guy quietly swiped it, hid it beneath his sweatshirt, and sauntered toward the door. I was lucky. I noticed almost immediately, and the guy was apprehended.

For a few terrible moments, I thought he had gotten away. I began to imagine the hassle of replacing my credit cards, my driver’s license, and my ATM card (not to mention the songs on my iPod). What a mess. So, today, I’ve decided to post a few things you should do, just in case:

  • Keep a list of all of your credit, debit, and ATM cards. This list should include card numbers as well as customer service phone numbers. You might also want to include the fraud hotlines of credit reporting agencies, so you can place a fraud alert on your credit report. You should keep this list somewhere safe and easy to access (but not in your wallet!).
  • Because your Social Security number is a gold mine for identity thieves, never keep your Social Security card in your wallet. If your driver’s license has your Social Security number on it, you should contact your state motor vehicles office and ask for a replacement that doesn’t display your Social Security number.
  • Never keep PIN numbers in your wallet or with your credit or debit cards.

If your wallet has been stolen, the FTC provides a quick list of what to do. And of course, there are lots of other things you can do to avoid identity theft.

Do you have any tips for how to make life difficult for purse snatchers?

| View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: card   credit   purse   replace   robbery   security   social   theft  

 

Entry bubble Identity Theft and Your Credit Report

By: Nancy | March 06, 2008 | Category: Money

Last Thursday, we talked about getting a free copy of your credit report.  And I promised I'd come back this week with an overview of what to do if you find a mistake on it.

Ok, so you've gotten your free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com and you've figured out how to read it. But something's wrong. Your birth year could be a little off or something could be misspelled. That's not so bad. But if you notice something like a current mailing address listed that's not yours, or accounts and lines of credit in your name that you didn't open, you could be one of more than eight million people in the US each year hit by identity theft.

Immediately contact the credit bureau that you got your credit report from (Equifax, Trans Union or Experian) to tell them about the mistake and to have them place a fraud alert on your account. They will then contact the other two credit bureaus and instruct them to place a fraud alert on your credit records with them too. A fraud alert on your credit record lets potential creditors know that you suspect that you've been the victim of identity theft, so they will be reluctant to give anybody any more credit using your name for an initial period of 90 days. You can have that extended to seven years.

Next, phone and write a letter to the company that says you have the potentially fraudulent account or line of credit with them. Don't just rely on phone calls or filling out online forms. Write a real letter (here's a sample) and keep record of every communication between yourself, the credit bureaus and the company that the thief got credit from in your name.

For much more detailed information about protecting yourself from identity theft and tools to help you get your good name back if you've been a victim, see the Federal Trade Commission's Fighting Back Against Identity Theft website.

I wish I could tell you that a couple phone calls or letters would take care of the problem if you're been hit by identity theft. Unfortunately, it can be more complicated than that. Getting fraudulent accounts proven and closed and getting your credit report accurate again will take time and persistence on your part. But it will eventually get straightened out.

What's your experience? Have you or somebody you know been the victim of identity theft?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: credit   ftc   nancy   theft  

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