O’FALLON, IL (KMOX) - St. Clair County Sheriff’s deputies have been finding piles of paper and trash in parts of the county. A lot of it is discarded mail and some of it is from O’fallon Illinois, where Sgt. Craig Koch says people are being put on alert.
“The Sheriff’s Department is concerned that people going through trash cans or recycle bins taking out personal financial information in an attempt to steal someones identity” says Sgt. Koch.
He reminds residents to shred pieces of mail including credit card offers, credit card bills, bank statements, pay stubs, and tax returns.
Press Release from O’fallon Illinois Police:
The O’Fallon Police Department was recently notified by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department that deputies have come across piles of trash in certain areas of the county that contain a vast amount of mail that was previously placed in recycle bins or trash cans.
It is believed the perpetrators are going through trash and recycle containers throughout the county and sorting through the disposed mail in an attempt to find personal information that can be used to steal your identity. Once theyhave what they need, they dump the remainder in an abandoned area or other remote location.
To avoid being a victim of identity theft, I recommend that O’Fallon residents shred any mail that contains personal information before placing it in the trash or recycle bin, said Mayor Gary Graham.
The types of items that should be shredded include credit card offers, credit card bills, bank statements, every bill, pay stubs, tax returns, and anything else that contains your personal information.a precautionary measure, it’s a good idea to check your credit report regularly, said Police Chief John Betten. For those of you not familiar with the term, your credit report has information about you, including accounts you have and how you pay your bills. It helps banks and other businesses decide whether to extend you credit or insurance, and on what terms .
The three major consumer reporting companies are required by law to give you a free copy of your credit report each year if you ask for it. The companies are: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. These three companies host a central website at www.AnnualCreditReport.com, where you can get your free credit report.
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