By Michelle Zehnder Fischer,

Nicollet County Attorney

and Bonnie Petersen,

Nicollet County Victim/

Witness Coordinator

Identity theft is one person stealing any personally identifiable information of another person and then using that information for financial gain. Identity theft can take many forms. Some of those forms can include: unauthorized charges on a credit card, someone opening an account in another person’s name, obtaining government benefits in another’s name, obtaining medical services in another’s name, and using another’s name during a criminal investigation.

Unlike crimes such as assault, burglary or property damage, identity theft is a crime that is often not immediately recognized. In fact, if individuals do not check their accounts or credit reports regularly, many individuals do not realize that they are an identity theft victim until much later – in some cases, months to years after it began.

The financial impact of identity theft on victims can be debilitating. In the 2021 Consumer Aftermath Report: How Identity Crimes Impact Victims, their Families, Friends, and Workplaces conducted by the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), 83% of respondents said that they were unable to rent an apartment or find housing, 40% were unable to pay their routine bills, 33% did not have enough money to buy food or pay for utilities, 14% were evicted for non-payment of their rent or mortgage, and 13% were unable to get a job as a result of identity fraud.

The emotional impact of identity theft on victims can be just as debilitating as it can leave the victim traumatized. In the 2021 ITRC study noted above, 79% of the identity theft victims surveyed reported having adverse feelings or emotions. The emotions victims reported included: being more stressed, anxious, or worried; angry; violated; and having suicidal thoughts. In addition, 32% of victims surveyed reported that their identity crime incident led to problems with family members, and 18% reported that their identity crime incident led to problems with friends.

Scammers chase headlines, and they took full advantage of the pandemic. In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission saw a 113% increase in reported identity thefts from 2019, and a 2,920% increase in the number government benefits related identity theft cases from 2019. These numbers do not include the other COVID-related scams.

There are some actions that you can take to protect yourself from becoming an identity theft victim.

1. Avoid giving out personal information if you are contacted by phone, text, email, or letter from anyone claiming to be from the IRS, Social Security Administration, your bank, your credit card company, your employer’s human resources department, subscription services, or any of your other utilities. While people are well aware of the IRS and Social Security Administration scams, scammers are well skilled in creating texts or emails that look like they are from Amazon, Netflix, etc., saying that you need to verify account information. Always try to independently verify what needs to be provided by contacting the agency or company directly, and do not click on any links or call any phone numbers listed in the email, text message, or letter.

2. Use a strong password.

3. Turn on two-factor identification when offered.

4. Shred credit card offers received in the mail.

5. Check bank accounts and credit card statements regularly for transactions you do not recognize.

6. Check credit reports annually.

If you do find yourself the victim of identity theft, take action as soon as possible in an attempt to minimize your losses.

– Call the companies where you know the fraud occurred. Ask them to close or freeze the account.

– Check all other accounts for unauthorized transactions.

– Check your credit reports for any new accounts you do not recognize.

– Change logins, passwords, and PINS for your accounts.

– Make a police report. Many banks and credit card companies require a police report to be filed before they will remove any fraudulent charges.

The Federal Trade Commission has a specific website designed to help identity theft victims at https://IdentityTheft.gov. This website can help identity theft victims create a personalized recovery plan and provides guidance on putting that recovery plan into action. In addition, the Identity Theft Resource Center at https://idtheftcenter.org provides phone and online assistance to identity theft victims.

If your organization, service group, or faith community would like to schedule a presentation on preventing scams, please contact our office at 507-934-7890. While it is impossible to completely prevent identity theft, you can take action to protect yourself as much as possible and minimize your losses if identity theft does occur.