Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) is warning people to be on the lookout for fraudulent bank accounts, changes to their credit scores, and other indications of identity theft after three community members recently fell victim to potential fraud.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation contacted a number of Borough Park residents who have been identified as potential victims of crimes after finding personal identifying information of these residents in the hands of would-be criminals in New England. While the identity theft investigation remains ongoing, the FBI’s Boston field office advised the potential victims to follow through with all three major credit bureaus, immediately close any fraudulent accounts that may have been opened, and to file police reports. Assemblyman Hikind’s senior aides immediately went into action working with the FBI and the credit bureaus to protect the community members identified as potential victims.
“It’s not every day that someone gets a letter from the FBI,” said the Assemblyman. “These people were frightened and rightly so. When they turned to us for help in protecting themselves, my staff immediately followed up with the Department of Justice and the credit bureaus to make certain these innocent victims were protected.”
Assemblyman Hikind explained that victims can report complaints to the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338). Constituents who have been victims of identity theft should also contact the Assemblyman’s office.
“You don’t need to use the internet or even have a credit card to be a potential victim of identity theft,” said the Assemblyman. “Thieves grow more and more sophisticated and can obtain your personal information from a driver’s license, bank account number, and many other ways. To best protect yourself, it’s important to regularly monitor your bank and credit accounts and to occasionally check your credit scores. If there’s anything unusual going on, contact my office. My staff and I are here to help.”
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
2 Responses
Hiekind A Democrate and “a frume Yid” a Stirah menai ubai
If you have a bank account, you are using the internet whether you admit it or not. The only way to avoid the problem is not to use banks – only use currency and coins. Invest in nothing other than physical assets such as gold. Probably avoid using the telephone (which is simply an internet program using non-digitial means for voice communication, but fully integrated with the internet).
A better solution might be to check one’s account daily (easy to do online) and complain immediately (not to a politician – to the police and the bank).