’Tis the season

 

What happens three or four times a week? You eat a sandwich. You call a best friend. You run an errand.

For Albert Lea Police Department Detective Ben Mortensen, three or four times a week, he deals with a claim of identity theft.

At this time of year, Mortensen said there are more credit card frauds and forgeries. Those committing these types of crimes are depending on retailers and employees being busy and perhaps missing a step in double-checking someone’s identity, he said.

Mortensen estimated that about half the cases involve external perpetrators (for example, a scam), and about half are local.

“A lot of times, the person who takes your identity, you know,” Mortensen said. For example, this could be a relative or acquaintance who takes a credit card that’s not theirs.

But most of the identity theft cases Mortenson sees involve scams: lottery, phone or email.

Mortensen said scammers target areas in cycles.

“They’ll hit real hard and then back away, so that people forget what’s happening,” he said.

There’s also an ebb and flow in the frequency of claims. Mortensen said when a new scam surfaces, there is a flurry of activity, and then it dies back down again.

Mortensen started investigating 17 years ago, when he said identity theft relating to the internet was just starting. Since then, he said the tactics have changed: social media like Snapchat allows evidence to go away faster, and can make it harder to investigate.

Mortensen also mentioned large-scale cases in which masses of people’s identities are put at risk by data leaks. He cited previous leaks at Target, PayPal and most recently, Uber.

“A lot of times, it isn’t even your fault that you lose your identity,” he said.

But there are ways an individual can protect their identity. One method Mortensen himself employs is a card that sends him alerts every time it’s used.

“And if it ain’t me using them, I’m going to be making a phone call,” he said.

This type of card has helped Mortensen be successful in the past. Mortensen cited a case in which a resident noticed unusual activity on her account and notified the police, who then arrested a man who had cloned 43 credit cards.

Wells Fargo rolled out a similar feature in March, which allows cards to be turned off and on again. Minnesota regional communicator for Wells Fargo John Hobot has also used this feature for his card.

“I’m glad we have it, because I use it, too,” Hobot said. “I’ve done it myself.” In the end, though, it turned out his lost card was just under the couch.

There are other ways to lower your chances of identity theft.

Do not give out personal information over the phone to anyone who has contacted you, rather than the other way around. Mortensen said this information includes account numbers, date of birth, hometown, even a full name: “Anything that’s personal.”

Review your credit card billing statements.

Check your credit report. Wells Fargo recommends individuals check at least once a year for unauthorized accounts opened in your name.

The Minnesota State Attorney General’s office’s booklet, “Guarding your Privacy,” recommends people don’t leave envelopes containing checks at an unlocked home mailbox to be collected by the postal carrier.

Shred documents with sensitive information before disposing of them.

When shopping online, use a secure internet browser. According to the Minnesota State Attorney General’s office, the “s” in https:// indicates the web address and internet connection is secure.