With the hasty pace of holiday shopping and customers scurrying to catch good deals, paying with debit or credit cards seems like the quickest and easiest way to check out.
But one problem arises and becomes more common during the holiday season – identity theft.
“A lot of people are busy shopping, visiting family, decorating and doing all the things that go into the holidays,” said Valerie Sutton, assistant manager at Capital One Bank on Sherwood Boulevard. “They’re not paying attention to things they usually are like reading their mail and making sure their credit card is in their possession.”
Identity theft occurs when a criminal uses another individual’s personal information to take on his or her identity, either by stealing mail, identification cards or using other methods to pose as that person.
According the FBI, identity theft is the fastest growing white-collar crime in the U.S, and more than 9.9 million victims were reported in 2007 to the Federal Trade Commission.
Sutton said criminals have an increased desire to get something for nothing during the holiday season, which creates a bigger problem for shoppers.
——Contact Leslie Presnall at [email protected]