23 OP Summer Senior Newsletter Bench Update

IDENTITY THEFT & FRAUD

Identity Safety

Can I register multiple cameras?

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the U.S. More than 15 million U.S. residents have their identities stolen each year, with losses exceeding a total of $50 billion annually. While it’s true that identity theft can affect anyone, seniors are at increased risk. Today, senior identity theft is growing rapidly, and people ages 50 or older are frequently the target of scams and fraudulent activity. Several factors make seniors especially vulnerable to identity theft. Many seniors have substantial savings or checking account balances, do not regularly monitor their credit reports, or some may rely on others to care for their financials/banking matters. Luckily, there are many ways you can protect yourself from becoming the victim of identity theft.

Yes. While completing the registration form, list the number of external surveillance cameras available. If you are registering cameras for multiple homes or business locations, please complete separate forms for each location. Only videos you provide the Orland Park Police Department with will be viewed. This program does not have access to live video cameras, nor will video footage be obtained without your consent. How do I register? Visit orlandpark.org/ watch to register. Once registered, you will receive a window cling to hang on a front window/door to show that you are part of the Neighborhood Watch Program. Registration to this program is completely voluntary and can be withdrawn at any time. What footage will be used?

Neighborhood Watch

The Orland Park Police Department has created a resource for Orland Park citizens and business owners to assist in crime prevention and crime solving efforts. The Orland Park Police Department is asking residents and businesses to voluntarily register their personal security camera information with the Orland Park Police Department. After a crime occurs, often times the first step in the police investigation is canvassing the area for security cameras, that may have captured evidence of the crime. While it would still be necessary for the police to canvas an area during an investigation, a compiled database of security camera information would help streamline the process and save valuable time and resources.

The registration would consist of providing the resident or business location, the number of cameras present and contact information for footage viewing. After registering your cameras, the police department will not have access to your footage. That would have to be provided by the owner on a case by case basis and only select members of the police department would have access to your contact information. The registration process is simple, fast and secure. To register, please fill out the following form that can be found at orlandpark.org/ watch.

What if I think I’m a victim?

If you think you are a victim of identity theft or fraud, contact the fraud department of the location of compromised accounts, so that you can close or freeze those accounts. Then contact your police department to report the crime.

Tips to Avoid Theft

4 Use a shredder for mail and other

1 Don’t give personal info, like a SSN, credit card numbers or bank info to anyone, unless you are sure of legitimacy 2 Protect all Passwords, Numbers, Pins and Usernames, preferably offline in a notebook 3 Check billing statements often, look for weird irregularities

unneccesary documents that may have personal information

5 Ignore spam emails, do not respond to requests from unknown emails

6 Limit what you carry, leave important

documents like SSN and Passport at home

orlandpark.org

orlandpark.org

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