Identity theft, fraud and elder abuse discussed at Sonoma town hall

Internet theft is just one facet of fraud, abuse and other crimes that can impact anyone - especially seniors.|

Fraud and identity theft resources

Websites

State Bureau of Real Estate: www.bre.ca.gov

Legal Aid of Sonoma County www.legalaidsc.org

Lawyer referral services www.calbar.org/lrs

California Dept. of Business Oversight (investment fraud, etc.) www.dca.dbo.ca.gov

State Attorney General's Office, Privacy enforcement and protection: www.privacy.ca.gov

State Department of Consumer Affairs www.dca.ca.gov

Federal Trade Commission (FTC): www.ftc.gov/idtheft

Telephone

Identity theft hotline: 888-880-0240

MediCal fraud, elder abuse and privacy rights: 800-722-0432

FTC hotline (identity theft complaints): 877-438-4338

Senior Legal Hotline 800-222-1753

Assemblymember Bill Dodd, local office (5

th

District, Sonoma Valley): 707-552-4405

Assemblymember Marc Levine, local office (10

th

District, Sonoma and south county): 707-576-2631

Report Credit Fraud

Experian: www.experian.com

TransUnion: www.transunion.com

Equifax: www.equifax.com

Free annual credit report service: www.annualcreditreport.com

'You know what we call those red flags on the mailbox you put up when you leave mail in them?' asked Kenneth Ehrman, of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association, at a Sept. 21 meeting in Sonoma. ' 'Steal me' flags.'

He was on a panel of six state and local officials presenting at a local Fraud Prevention Town Hall at the Sonoma Community Center, including Assemblymember Bill Dodd. It was one of a number of town halls in Dodd's district that he has brought together to discuss identity theft and fraud prevention, topics close to his heart: he was victimized by identity theft just last year, and spent months trying to unravel the repercussions with banks, credit cards, debt collection agencies, even police and places where he's done business.

Mail theft is only one of the ways that identity theft can happen, Ehrman said. Internet hacking is perhaps the most notorious means, but other methods are no less frightening: shoulder-surfing at the ATM, dishonest employees, dumpster diving, even home invasion.

Even worse, it often takes a while to realize that someone is a victim – and it isn't an easy crime to recover from. 'It's a crime that keeps on giving – it never goes away,' said Ehrman.

Consider Dodd's own case: he became aware that someone was running up charges and opening fraudulent accounts under his name well after it occurred. Even though he is a relatively well-known figure, he had to personally go through multiple steps to repair his credit and dispute the charges, file police reports, and more.

'While the some of the collectors investigated my claims and provided a timely resolution to the dispute, others did not,' said Dodd through an assembly aid. 'For some, it seemed that the dispute and documentation went into a black box.'

Eventually the 'nightmare of identity theft' found its way into a negative credit rating, which could potentially lower a credit score, increase the interest rates banks and other lending agencies will charge consumers and even make getting a home or automobile loan impossible.

Dodd thought 'this was unacceptable and that changes must be made to prevent others from experiencing the same ordeal' he went through, and early in the latest state legislative session he authored the Identity Theft Resolution Act to reduce the time it takes for victims of identity theft to clear their name, end harassing phone calls, and remove negative credit reporting. The bill was signed into law by the Governor earlier this week.

'I think the Governor saw this as an important issue and I'm grateful for his action,' said Dodd at Wednesday's meeting.

But while the legislation goes part way toward relieving the consumer's burden, it's only part way – and there are still steps that everyone should take to prevent becoming victims of the most intimate and damaging kind of fraud. That was the message of the Sonoma town hall, and it was driven home by the panel in their two-hour presentation.

As one might expect for a morning meeting mid-week in Sonoma, a majority of those in attendance were seniors. To them in particular Matthew Stapleton, an investigator in the District Attorney's Office of Sonoma County, offered chilling statistics and valuable advice.

A former Petaluma policeman, Stapleton began by turning the tables on the idea of guarding such personal information as phone numbers. 'Our phone number is 911,' he disclosed. Though he didn't recommend calling the police whenever a crank or potential prank phone call comes in – 'There are too many of them out there' – he did say anyone who has been victimized by fraud should report it, as creating a paper trail of any potential crime is crucial.

But preventing becoming a victim is probably more important, and Stapleton had advice not just for seniors but anyone who answers an unwanted phone call or knock on the door: 'You don't need to be nice. You don't need to get angry. Just hang up the phone or shut the door. You're not going to get in trouble for hanging up the phone.'

Fraud calls are becoming more frequent, as anyone who has a phone can attest. Callers may say they're from the IRS and need money or you'll be arrested, they're from the county government and you need to pay a fine because you didn't show up for jury duty, or that you're behind on your utility bill and they'll shut off the power unless you pay. If it sounds fishy, he said, it probably is.

Fraud is only one form of crime that seniors are prone to, in the larger category of elder abuse, Stapleton's investigative focus. Seniors are increasingly the victims of such crimes, in part because they are more likely to have assets, but also because they are vulnerable because of loneliness, and often too embarrassed to report they've been victimized, to the police or to family. And it's likely to get worse: currently almost a quarter, 24 percent of Sonoma County's population is over 60, about 119,000 people. By 2030, that number will exceed 160,000.

Elder abuse can take several forms, none of them pleasant: physical or sexual abuse, neglect, financial fraud and emotional abuse. And to those who say, 'My children (or grandchildren, or friends) would never do that to me,' Stapleton said the facts show otherwise. Of the 141 cases the county handled in the past year, 85 percent were committed by someone the victim knew, and 79 percent involved physical harm.

Other speakers at the town hall included Real Estate Commissioner Wayne Bell, Evan Livingstone from Sonoma County Legal Aid and Kevin Taylor of the State Bar, with advice on finding a lawyer. Taylor, in fact, opened his remarks with a nod to the host: 'It's about taking care of yourself, and there's no better place to start than contacting your local assemblyman, or supervisor, congressman and their staff – they're there to help you.'

Contact Christian at christian.kallen@sonomanews.com

Fraud and identity theft resources

Websites

State Bureau of Real Estate: www.bre.ca.gov

Legal Aid of Sonoma County www.legalaidsc.org

Lawyer referral services www.calbar.org/lrs

California Dept. of Business Oversight (investment fraud, etc.) www.dca.dbo.ca.gov

State Attorney General's Office, Privacy enforcement and protection: www.privacy.ca.gov

State Department of Consumer Affairs www.dca.ca.gov

Federal Trade Commission (FTC): www.ftc.gov/idtheft

Telephone

Identity theft hotline: 888-880-0240

MediCal fraud, elder abuse and privacy rights: 800-722-0432

FTC hotline (identity theft complaints): 877-438-4338

Senior Legal Hotline 800-222-1753

Assemblymember Bill Dodd, local office (5

th

District, Sonoma Valley): 707-552-4405

Assemblymember Marc Levine, local office (10

th

District, Sonoma and south county): 707-576-2631

Report Credit Fraud

Experian: www.experian.com

TransUnion: www.transunion.com

Equifax: www.equifax.com

Free annual credit report service: www.annualcreditreport.com

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