(Spirit Lake)– Protecting yourself from scams and identification theft were the topics of a program Friday at the Dickinson County Senior Citizen’s Center in Spirit Lake.
The information was presented by Deborah Moore of the Iowa Attorney General’s office. She said they’ve made great strides recently in cracking down on fraudulent telemarketers, but she says you still need to be very cautious if you’re going to do business with one. Moore recommends you avoid them altogether by telling the person on the other end of the phone to take your name off their list and quit calling you. Moore says many banks and credit card companies offer “opt out” forms with their monthly statements. By filling them out, you can request they not sell your name to solicitors. If you’re tired of being bothered by telemarketers and other solicitors, Moore says you can have your name taken off their lists by making a simple phone call. The number is 1-888-567-8688.
Moore says her office continues to see an increase in cases of the theft identity. She says you should never give your social security, bank account or credit card numbers to anyone you don’t trust. If a business requires you produce a social security number for identification purposes, Moore says you should ask them if there’s any other way you can prove your identity. She says you should also make sure your social security number is not listed as your driver’s license number. A relatively new law in Iowa requires your driver’s license number be randomly selected. In the past, social security numbers were commonly used.
