Quarryville Man
Has Identity Stolen
EAST
DRUMORE TOWNSHIP -- A Quarryville man reported his identity
stolen recently to State Police. He is by no means alone in this
growing crime. Identity theft involves the misuse of someone's personal identifying information for fraudulent purposes, such as credit card fraud, mortgage fraud, and check fraud.
In the case of Richard Gregory Krantz, 47 of Quarryville, it was
to rent an apartment.
Tpr. Chad Dohner, of the PA State
Police, responded to Krantz's home on Buck Road Monday, August
25, in regards to someone using Krantz's social security number
to rent an unknown location in the City of Philadelphia.
A survey conducted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2006 estimated that 8.3 million American consumers, or 3.7 percent of the adult population, became victims of identity theft in 2005,
according to the Federal Bureau of Information (FBI).
The FBI offers the following indications of Identity Theft:
Charges occurring on your accounts that you did not authorize.
If your credit is denied due to poor credit ratings, despite good credit history.
If you are contacted by creditors regarding amounts owed for goods or services that you never obtained or authorized.
If your credit card and bank statements are not received in the mail as expected.
If a new or renewed credit card is not received.
Identity Theft/Fraud Prevention Measures
Never give personal information via telephone, mail or the Internet, unless you initiated the contact.
Store personal information in a safe place.
Shred credit card receipts and/or old statements before discarding in a garbage can--If you do not have a shredder, then use scissors.
Protect PINs and passwords.
Carry only the minimum amount of identifying information.
Remove your name from mailing lists for pre-approved credit lines and tele-marketers.
Order and closely review biannual copies of your credit report from each national credit reporting agency (Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union).
Request DMV to assign an alternate driver’s license number if it currently features your
Social Security account number.
Ensure that your PIN numbers cannot be observed by anyone while utilizing an ATM or public telephone.
Close all unused credit card or bank accounts.
Contact your creditor or service provider if expected bills do not arrive.
Check account statements carefully.
Guard your mail from theft.
BE AWARE!
If You are a Victim of Identity Theft, the FBI offers these tips:
These steps are among those that should be completed by persons who believe they have been the victim of an identity theft:
Contact the fraud departments of the three major credit bureaus to place fraud alerts on your credit file in order to reduce your risk of further victimization.
Obtain and review a current copy of your credit report to determine whether any unknown fraud has occurred--(You will need to more closely monitor your credit going forward as some identity thefts can continue for extended periods of time).
Contact the account issuer(s) where fraudulent accounts have been opened or where your accounts have been taken over--Ask for the fraud/security department and notify them both via telephone and in writing.
Close all tampered or fraudulent accounts.
Ask about the existence of secondary cards.
Contact your local police department and file a police report.
Notify the police department in the community where the identity theft occurred, if it is different from your own.
Obtain copies of any police reports filed.
Keep a detailed log of who you talked to and when, including their title, phone number, and other contact information.
Contact the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Clearinghouse and file an identity theft complaint at Those complaints are utilized by law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, that investigate identity theft. You can also obtain additional information at that website regarding your rights as a victim.
Online identity thefts can also be reported at
www.IC3.gov.
Anyone with information concerning
Krantz's case is asked to contact the State Police at
717-299-7650.
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