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Photo by Irene
Fertik UCLA Today
UCLA Police Detective Tony Duenas’ caseload of identity
thefts is rising. Perpetrators are difficult to catch because
of the number of fake names and counterfeit IDs they use to
hide their trail. |
safeguard your identity on campus
Thieves steal information and your good name
BY CYNTHIA LEE
UCLA Today Staff
Thieves steal them from glove compartments of cars parked on campus,
snatch them from apartment mailboxes and dig them out of purses
left in employees’ unlocked desk drawers. Those willing to
get a little dirty prowl through dumpsters behind medical offices
around Los Angeles, scrutinize the leavings in trashcans and watch
for wadded-up receipts left at ATMs or bank offices.
They’re looking for your identity, and 27.3 million of us
in the last five years have had ours pilfered by a growing number
of sophisticated crooks who have found the near-perfect crime, according
to Detective Tony Duenas of the UCLA Police Department.
How perfect? With less than 10% of identity theft cases solved,
there is very low risk of getting caught. “Even when we have
a picture of the individual, finding out who they are is really
difficult because they use fake names,” Duenas said.
No contact with the victim is required. In fact, it is typical
for people to be blissfully unaware they have been victimized months
after a theft.
“They’ll apply for a loan and get their credit report
or start getting letters from credit card companies,” Duenas
said. That’s when they discover they have credit cards they
never applied for with charges they never made. Thieves have had
utilities turned on, opened cell phone accounts and gotten instant
credit — all in the name of others.
Recently, campus police arrested one man twice for identity theft.
He was initially found sleeping in the lobby of the medical center
and presented officers with a wallet filled with stolen credit cards
from six victims. While out on bail for this offense, he was rearrested
by the same officer who recognized him during a traffic stop on
Hilgard Avenue. This time, the car the man was driving had been
rented with stolen ID. Freed on bail again, he has since fled and
is now wanted by police on 15 felony charges.
“It’s only a matter of time before he comes back to
UCLA,” Duenas said. Police said the man burglarized cars on
campus, took credit cards, checks and cash as well as enough personal
information to acquire credit cards and even a driver’s license.
Duenas, who advises everyone to buy a shredder, has put together
an “encyclopedia” on how to safeguard your ID and what
to do if you’ve been victimized.
Here are some key steps:
- Unless absolutely necessary, never give out personal information,
such as your social security number, date of birth or mother’s
maiden name, over the phone. Recently, campus police warned students
about giving out personal information in response to a spam offering
them job internships.
- Don’t let identity thieves find gold —pre-approved
credit forms — in your trash. To opt out of pre-approved
offers of credit with the three main credit reporting bureaus
for two years, call (888)5OP-TOUT.
- Order your credit report from the three credit bureaus once
a year to check for fraud. You can also subscribe to a credit-monitoring
service with a bureau. Typically, the service sends e-mails to
subscribers if an inquiry has been made to their credit file.
To learn more tips, go to www.ucpd.ucla.edu/ucpd/programs_persafe.html
and scroll down to “Identity Theft.”
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