Don't be a victim of ID theft; seminars set

A young Arizona mother was arrested Wednesday after police discovered that she and a man could be at the center of a large identity theft operation, creating fraudulent Social Security cards and driver’s licenses out of a home.

The 29-year-old Glendale woman was in the middle of creating fake IDs when Department of Public Safety detectives busted down her door after she refused to let them in.

Inside the apartment, detectives found more than 60 Arizona, California, Tennessee and foreign driver’s licenses, 200 sheets of card stock to make Social Security cards, a scanner, laptop computer and several I.D. card printers.

The scenario is not uncommon, and Green Valley is no stranger to scams.

The heartless “grandparent scam” and others like it appeal to the victim’s emotions and prey on a trusting nature.

Internet, U.S. mail and even cell phone text-messaging scams show up regularly in Pima County Sheriff’s reports in Green Valley. Some are ridiculous, others quite convincing.

In a case last year, a man impersonating a Social Security representative convinced a recent widower to mail him his wife’s death certificate, which then most likely was used to facilitate identity theft.

ID theft is the focus of three seminars this month by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

Detectives will talk about identity theft trends, how to avoid becoming a victim, steps

to take if you are a victim, the importance of internet safety, and how to obtain a free annual credit report.

A recent scam

In a case last week, a Green Valley woman received a call from somebody who knew the last four digits of her husband’s Social Security number as well as her son’s name, and tried to use the information to pressure the woman into sending her $840.

The caller said she worked for the Attorney General’s Office and would be filing charges against the woman’s son for fraudulently using her husband’s Social Security card in 1980. The woman became suspicious and told the caller to send her a certified letter. When the caller became angry and persistent, the woman hung up on her.

The woman says she realized it was a scam when it occurred to her that her son was only a child in 1980, and that she hadn’t met her husband until years later.

A few hours later, she received a similar call from a scammer. The phone numbers traced to small towns in Pennsylvania and Georgia.

jrichardson@gvnews.com

SEMINARS

Free seminars on identity theft will be held at the Pima County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers

office, 601 N. La Canada Drive:

June 24, 9-11 a.m.

June 27, 9-11 a.m.

June 29, 5-7 p.m.

AVOID A SCAM

1. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

2. Scam solicitations have a way of looking and sounding official. Beware.

3. Do not give your credit card or bank account numbers to strangers. Thieves can use the information to make unauthorized charges to your account and you won’t find out until you get a bill.

4. Scammers often, but not always, ask that money be wired to them so it is harder to trace.

5. You cannot win a legitimate lottery if you have not entered one. If you get a call saying you’re a winner, hang up.

6. You never have to pay to collect winnings from a legitimate lottery. You pay taxes after you receive the winnings. There are no other fees.

7. It is illegal under U.S. federal law to play any foreign lottery from the United States. For example, you must be a Spanish resident to play the El Gordo lottery.

8. If somebody calls claiming to be a relative in trouble with the law, hang up and call that law-enforcement agency directly. Do not wire money for bail or lawyers fees.

9. If the caller is more excited than you, or wants to be your best friend, it’s likely a scam.

10. Check online for lists of known scammers and scams. The Federal Trade Commission is a good place to start: www.ftc.gov. The Pima Council on Aging also can offer help: 790-7262 or www.pcoa.org

Sources: Consumer Fraud Reporting Org., Federal Trade Commission