Officials Urge Protection Against Identity Theft

Identity theft has caused financial turmoil in the lives of many Newport Beach residents, and police want to make sure the community takes precautions to avoid becoming a victim.

Following up on a request from Councilwoman Nancy Gardner, officials from the Newport Beach Police Department gave a presentation at Tuesday's City Council Study Session regarding identity theft and how someone steals it without another person's permission.

"Identity theft causes tremendous havoc on your credit report, your finances and your reputation," Newport Beach police Sgt. Keith Kralman said. "It comes with a lot of negative consequences."

According to police, the most common ways a person's identity is compromised includes when thieves steal bank and credit card statements from trash, wallets and purses, tricks a person into releasing personal information over the phone, and stealing information from unlocked cars or through skimming devices that secretly read credit card information at gas pump stations.

Because there are so many ways for personal information to be stolen, police encourage residents to be on top of what is going on with their mail and finances.

"Protecting your identity should become a habit," Crime Prevention Specialist Andi Querry, who was a victim of identity theft and ripped off for $3,000 within one week, said at the meeting. "You should be always checking your bank accounts daily, request free copies of your credit report every four months and look for charges you didn't make and dispute them."

Querry also suggested using cash to pay for gas, and being aware if bills don't arrive on time which can indicate mail being stolen. It is also important to protect social security numbers by verifying what a person needs it for and confirming how they are keeping your number secure. Computers should also be safeguarded with firewalls and anti-virus software, and online passwords should be creative and hard for another person to figure out, Querry said.

Have you been a victim of identity theft? Tell us in the comments.

Click here for today's top stories on Newport Beach-Corona Del Mar Patch.

Stay Patched in! Like Newport Beach Patch on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter and Sign up for the daily email with links to the latest local news.