Fw: Attorney General Consumer Alert

----- Original Message -----
From: "AGNews" <AGNews@oag.state.fl.us>
To: "AGNews" <AGNews@oag.state.fl.us>
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2005 9:43 AM
Subject: Attorney General Consumer Alert

>
>
>
>
> An Attorney General Consumer Alert has been issued.
>
> Please click the web address below to view the alert online.
> http://myfloridalegal.com/NewsBrie.nsf/OL/JPEK-6JWJSE
>
> Please do not hit Reply to send a message to Attorney General
> Crist or the Attorney General's Office. This email address cannot
> receive incoming messages. If you wish to contact the Attorney
> General's Office, please go to
> http://myfloridalegal.com/contact.nsf/contact?Open&Section=News_Letter&Subject=NB
>
> and use the convenient Contact Form provided there. Thank you.
>
> The text version of the Consumer Alert is below.
>
> Crist Cautions Holiday Shoppers to Prevent ID Theft
>
> TALLAHASSEE - Attorney General Charlie Crist today advised Floridians
> to be careful when using credit and debit cards to pay for gifts
> during this holiday shopping season in order to avoid becoming victims
> of identity theft. Crist, who yesterday convened the state's second
> annual Identity Theft Summit in Tampa, said unsuspecting holiday
> shoppers create inviting targets for ID thieves.
>
> Crist advised consumers to be careful when reaching into their wallet
> to pay for gift purchases, to make sure no one is lurking to steal a
> credit card number. At the same time, he said, the crowds and turmoil
> at shopping centers makes it vitally important that parents also keep
> a close eye on small children.
>
> "When holiday shopping, it is easy to become distracted while looking
> for the perfect gift and the best bargain," said Crist. "Hectic
> shopping malls can be a breeding ground for ripoff artists and other
> criminals, and Floridians should take steps to protect themselves,
> their loved ones and their personal information."
>
> Crist said the holiday season is the best time for the Identity Theft
> Summit, which brought together officials from law enforcement, the
> retail industry, banking and other sectors to discuss ways to reduce
> ID theft in Florida. The Attorney General's Fraud Hotline has received
> some 3,400 calls concerning identity theft since it was instituted in
> 2003. According to the Federal Trade Commission, a total of 38,325
> Floridians filed fraud or identity theft complaints in 2004, and
> almost one-third of the 16,062 identity theft complaints concerned
> credit card fraud.
>
> Crist offered the following suggestions for Floridians to avoid
> identity theft while shopping:
>
>
> When Making Purchases at Retail Stores
>
> - Don't take out credit cards before you get to the register. This
> will allow you to control the number of people who see the information
> on your cards and will reduce the chance of misplacing them. Protect
> your credit numbers from the people around you.
>
> - Beware of others who have cell phones in their hands but are not
> making calls. Clever thieves are using cell phones to take photographs
> or videos of credit cards or personal information.
>
> - Carry only the credit or debit cards your plan to use for holiday
> purchases. If your wallet or purse is stolen, fewer accounts will be
> affected.
>
>
> When Making Purchases with the Internet and Cell Phones
>
> - Make online purchases through secure websites from companies you
> trust.
>
> - If someone claiming to be a representative of your bank or lending
> institution, or a business with which you have an established account,
> asks you to provide account information over the internet, do not do
> so. This is not a legitimate request for information but is instead a
> scam called "phishing." Legitimate banks and businesses entities
> already have that information and do not need to ask you for it.
>
> - Keep your billing information private and avoid sharing it via cell
> phone, especially in a location where a stranger could overhear and
> write down the information.
>
>
> Handling the Documentation of Credit and Purchases
>
> - Take all receipts with you so that no one else picks them up. If you
> throw away your receipts, tear them up first.
>
> - Look at credit card statements carefully to check for charges you
> did not make. Contact the credit card company right away if you find
> any problems.
>
>
> In an Emergency
>
> - If you are a victim of identity theft, report to the police and then
> ask the national credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit
> report. Tell banks and creditors involved that you question the
> charges or accounts. Keep records of telephone calls and follow up in
> writing with credit bureaus, banks and creditors.
>
> - Victims may call the Attorney General's Fraud Hotline at
> 1-866-966-7226 (1-866-9-NO-SCAM). They may also visit the Attorney
> General's website at http://myfloridalegal.com.
>
>
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>

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