BBR Police Chief warns about ID theft

Identity thieves can attach false readers to ATMs (bottom) or cameras in pamphlet holders (top) to steal card numbers. Identity theft affects millions of people each year, causing severe financial damage. photos provided They won't pull a gun on you, but they'll rob you of everything they can get their hands on. Identity thieves are stalking victims everywhere -- including here in the Sisters area, according to Black Butte Ranch Police Chief Gil Zacarro.

Their techniques range from simple mail theft to technologically sophisticated scams that can cost victims hundreds or thousands of dollars.

"A person in Bend had over $4,500 cleaned out of their account in a matter of hours -- and the origin of the clearing was actually in Southern California," Zacarro said.

Two of the more sophisticated ploys involve bank automatic teller machines (ATM). According to Zacarro, ID thieves can actually attach devices that read and transmit your ATM card information when you insert the card into the bank's card reader slot.

Some will set up what looks like a pamphlet holder but is actually a camera through which a remote criminal can read the number on your card.

Sometimes a thief will stand behind a mark in line and use a cell phone camera to photograph a card.

Caution is the only means to avoid this kind of scam.

ATM users should cup the card in their hand so it can't be read, keeping the number covered up even as they insert it into a reader.

Illicit reading devices protrude from the machine a couple of inches, Zacarro said, which should be noticeable to an alert customer.

"If there's just something about the machine that doesn't look right, don't use it," Zacarro advised. "Call the police or the bank."

The chief noted that Oregon ranks seventh in per capita cases of identity theft. There were 9.9 million cases of identity theft nationwide last year -- and that's just cases that are reported. Many victims either don't recognize the theft or don't report it.

Drugs -- especially methamphetamine -- may be fueling Oregon's identity theft outbreak. Desperate addicts use ID theft as a way to access cash or to purchase goods that can be sold or traded for pennies on the dollar. According to Zacarro, addicts will sometimes steal financial information from mailboxes and sell it to more sophisticated identity thieves who then clean out accounts.

Identity theft can be part of even more sinister activity, Zacarro noted.

"Every one of the terrorists of 9/11 was an accomplished identity thief," he said.

Zacarro said that Black Butte Ranch has not had problems with identity theft, partly because his constituents there are highly aware of the danger.

"We're real proactive about it," he said. "I'm always preaching about identity theft and guarding their information."

Zacarro offers some tips for prevention of identity theft:

• Do not carry your Social Security number or card with you.
• Make copies of everything in your wallet and put the copies in a safe place.
• Unsolicited credit cards or checks from your credit card company are a real risk.

  Dial 1-800-5OPTOUT to cancel pre-approved credit card offers.

• Don't just toss out credit card company checks.
• Buy a shredder and shred everything with your name, address or any other personal information.
• Get a firewall on your computer.
• Do not put up a red flag on rural mailboxes.

  It is a sure sign to an ID thief that you have personal information in your box.

• Be always aware of your surroundings -- especially when using a credit or debit card.

The person in line next to you may be photographing your credit card with the cell phone he is holding in his hand.

A magnetic reader is also being used that can actually read your credit card magnetic strip while you are holding the card. Cup the card in your hand or do not take it out until the transaction is about to be made.

Zacarro says he sees one particularly risky behavior every time he goes to the grocery store: Women leave their purse in the grocery cart while shopping down the aisle.

A thief can swipe a wallet or credit card in seconds, pass it to an accomplice and have your accounts cleaned out before you realize what has happened.

Zacarro also said people should never, ever give out personal information over the telephone.

It is estimated that about one in four people will eventually be victimized by identity theft, with an average loss of $500 (and a huge amount of headache and hassle -- it can take two years to clean up an ID theft problem).

By being alert and taking basic precautions, Sisters area residents can help themselves beat the odds and avoid becoming a statistic in a growing crime wave.