Free fraud protection seminar Tuesday at Cape Coral Police Department
Learn how to protect yourself and reduce your risk of becoming a victim of fraud on Tuesday.
The Cape Coral Police Department and Fifth Third Bank are offering a free fraud protection seminar from 7 to 8 p.m. at police headquarters. Officers and banking experts will speak at the presentation.
“One of the fastest growing crimes, if not the fastest, is identity theft,” Jacob Underwood, of Fifth Third Bank, said. “We’re going to talk a lot about how that can happen and the impacts of it.”
The speakers will cover the potential long-term effects, as well as methods of prevention.
According to Underwood, the most common ways ID theft occurs is through debit or credit card numbers being stolen by machines called skimmers, and via the Internet with viruses and malware.
Becoming a victim can have a long-term impact by damaging one’s credit report, by making it more difficult to file a tax return, by making it harder to obtain a loan or establish good credit, and such.
As far as preventing ID theft, Underwood offered several options.
“I think the number one is education, so kind of what we’re doing with this seminar,” he said, adding that making people aware of the danger and keeping it in the back of their minds is a big step.
Underwood also suggested not leaving a purse or wallet with any personal information in a vehicle overnight, as well as ensuring that all of your online transactions are done safely and securely.
“It can also be things as simple as shredding documents, instead of just throwing them in the trash,” he said. “Handle your credit accounts with caution and care.”
There are also free monitoring resources available.
“We’re going to help make them aware of that, as well,” Underwood said.
Seating is limited to 50 people; registrations required.
“I think it’s a great educational and awareness opportunity for something people take for granted,” he said. “You hear about it one the news all the time, but think it can’t happen to me.”
To reserve a seat, contact Tammy Gair at (239) 574-0615.
The Cape Coral Police Department is at 1100 Cultural Park Blvd.