Georgia Ranks No. 2 for Fraud, Identity Theft Reports, WCSO Kept Busy with Cases

According to the Federal Trade Commission, Georgia ranked No. 2 among the 50 states in identity theft complaints per capita last year and No. 2 for overall fraud complaints. Officials from Walton County Sheriff's Office agree that fraud keeps the detectives busy.

"About half the active cases our detectives are working on are these types of cases," WCSO Chief Deputy Keith Brooks told senior citizens at the March TRIAD meeting on March 1. He urged people to be very wary about given out any personal information. "These cases are very difficult to track down. A lot of the time they originate from out of state. Anything that you can't validate, do not give out any information."

The Biz Beat, a blog posted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, says fraud accounted for more than half of the 2 million complaints the FTC received last year, and stolen IDs were most often used to obtain government documents and benefits. 

Click here to read the full report by the FTC.

Want to protect yourself from identity theft? Here are some suggestions.

• Always check your mailbox at home. Do not let mail pile up if possible because criminals will go through your mail and attempt to gain information about you or your family
• Shred or cut up your mail that have offers for credit cards or any other type of offers.
• NEVER give anyone your Social Security number over the phone and if you have to give your Social Security number you should verify first before giving it out
• Change your passwords to accounts or accounts online occasionally. Criminals can target you through your computer and hack into your information that way as well.  

You might also be interested in reading:

• Protect Yourself from Scammers Who Want Your Tax Return
• Avoiding Identity Theft with Tips from Amica Insurance
• BBB Tips for Securing Your Mobile Device
• Taxpayer Alert: How to Recognize and Avoid Identity Theft Scams
• Winder Police Officer Targeted in 'Mystery Shopper' Scam