The
Yolo County Sheriff’s
Department is dedicated
to the community
it serves. Sheriff Edward
G. Prieto requests your
attention to this page
whenever there
is
an alert which may require
your awareness or action.
You
are always welcome to review recent
and past press releases in our
Press Room and to review our latest
bulletin:
Press
Room
Bulletin
BULLETIN:
Identity
Theft is on the Rise -
Offenders
will steal another’s personal
information and use it to commit
fraud and other criminal acts. Sheriff
Prieto would like to offer the public
some tips to help protect them from
this serious crime.
•Be
very careful to whom you give your
personal information, such as your
mother’s maiden name and your
social security number. Then ask
for it to be kept confidential. Inquire
into how it will be used and with
whom it will be shared. Ask to use
other types of identifiers when possible.
Do not store your social security
card in your wallet.
• Never
provide any personal bank account or
credit card information to anyone who
contacts you through a telephone solicitation.
Instead, ask the caller to mail information
so that you can further research the
company and their products and services. • Keep
items with personal information in
a safe place. Keep a list of all
credit cards, account numbers, expiration
dates, and the customer service phone
numbers in a secure place so that
you can quickly contact your creditors
in case your cards are lost or stolen.
• Shred
all ATM and bank receipts, old insurance
forms, bank checks, expired credit
cards, and any other papers that
include personal information, identification,
and account numbers about you. This
includes pre-approved credit card
solicitations! Thieves often times
search through your garbage to find
these forms and information and use
it to apply for credit in your name.
• Minimize
the number of credit cards and other
items with personal information printed
on them that you carry. Cancel all
inactive accounts. Even though you
do not use them, those accounts appear
on your credit report which can be
used by thieves.
• Do
not leave envelopes containing your
checks in your mailbox, unless it
is secured. It is best to mail bills
and other sensitive items at the
post office.
• When
creating passwords or pins, do not
use the last four digits of your
social security number, your birth
date, middle name, mother’s
maiden name, address or anything
else that could easily be discovered
by thieves.
• Last
but not least, monitor your credit
card statements regularly and review
a copy of your credit report at least
once a year to best safeguard your
credit identity.
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