Published: October 03, 2006 09:50 am         

Crimes Evolve as Trends Change

In recent years, three main crimes have come to the forefront, garnering attention from organizations who mean to educate the public about crime prevention and safety. Senior fraud, identity theft and Internet crimes are quite prevalent today. In response, the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) has developed educative materials and campaigns designed to address these crime issues. Here are some statistics on these common crimes based on studies by the NCPC.



SENIOR FRAUD



Each year, nearly 25 million Americans are victims of consumer fraud. Senior citizens continue to be a rapidly increasing segment of the population, and that makes them a prime target for con artists and thieves. Studies indicate that seniors are the age group most at risk for telemarketing scams. In fact, telemarketers specifically target scams - anywhere from 56 to 80 percent - at seniors.



PROTECT YOURSELF



· Never give out personal information over the phone or Internet unless you have initiated the contact or sale. Legitimate companies will not ask for this information over the phone. Personal information includes social security numbers and credit card information.



· Don't believe the "too good to be true" offer. If you have doubts about something, ask to see the offer in writing and review it later.



· Contests or "freebies" are often scams as well. Typically the receipt of a prize requires purchase of something else at an exorbitant price.



INTERNET CRIMES



Young children are growing up online these days and as such, are frequently the targets of Internet crimes. While kids may be savvy online, it doesn't mean they always have the smarts to avoid dangerous situations. Off-color content, adult sexual predators masquerading as children in chat rooms, and a score of other potential dangers can easily be accessible online - and many children unwittingly fall prey to dangers.



Parents or caregivers should take an active role in protecting their children and educating them about the dangers that may lurk online.

PROTECT YOURSELF



· When possible, sit with your children to see what type of sites, blogs and chat rooms they are visiting. Ask them how they spend most of their time online.



· Based on this information, agree on rules for the Internet and time allotted online.



· Keep the computer in a busy area of the home, rather than a child's bedroom, so that Internet usage can be monitored.



· Consider using a filter, blocking, or ratings system for your computer.



· Educate your children about plagiarism and copyright infringement when copying or downloading files to use for personal or school use.



· Explain that while it's good to make new friends, be extra cautious about those met online. Children should limit the information they give to online friends, and never agree to meet someone alone.

IDENTITY THEFT

Identity theft can affect just about anyone. According to the U.S. Postal Service, there were almost 10 million incidents of identity theft in the United States in 2004 at a cost of $5 billion to consumers. Victims spend hours and hundreds of dollars trying to clean up the mess left by identity theft.



This type of theft can occur in a number of ways. Thieves can hack into computers and steal personal information. They may physically dig through your garbage to find documents with personal information. Some steal mail and credit card offers/payments from mailboxes. Others purchase credit card swiping machines so they can swipe your card and get all of your information. Some thieves even file a change of address form in the victim's name to divert mail and gather personal and financial data.



PROTECT YOURSELF



· Don't be forthcoming with your personal information over the phone or the Internet. Make sure any Web sites on which you're entering information have reliable encrypted security to protect data when it is flying through cyberspace.



· Invest in a shredder. Don't simply throw out statements and bill stubs. Shred any piece of mail that has personal information on it.



· Consider purchasing a mailbox that locks or a post office box. This will keep your mail better secured than the traditional mailbox.



· Never share passwords or PIN codes with other individuals. Similarly, do not believe e-mail solicitations that pretend to be from a financial institution looking for passwords or PIN codes. A legitimate bank, credit union, insurance company, etc., would never solicit information in this fashion.



· Do not carry your birth certificate or social security card in your wallet. And only keep on hand the credit or debit cards you use on a regular basis. If your wallet is stolen, this will limit the amount of information the thief will have.



· Report any crimes immediately to the authorities, your credit card companies and banks, as well as the major credit-checking services. Documentation will help speed up the rate in which your name is cleared in identity theft situations.