Detective speaks of ID theft risks after becoming victim

Anyone in any profession can become the victim of identity theft, from celebrities to tech wizards. The case can usually be handled if victims and credit report services work in tandem to stop criminals. Greenwich, Connecticut police chief James Heavy recently spoke at a program called "Protecting Against Identity Theft," during which he told about his experience having his identity stolen last year, reported the Greenwich Time. Heavy's credit card information was stolen from a restaurant by a thief using a device to skim credit card data. He was eventually contacted by his card company after suspicious charges began appearing in New Jersey stores, the source described. The Greenwich Times claims that 71 percent of fraudulent charges appear within a week of the information being stolen, so victims and credit reporting services must be on top of the situation. Once one of the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, know about the situation, representatives must inform the other two companies, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse explained. From there, the source noted, an initial fraud alert lasting 90 days can be placed on the compromised account, requiring creditors and lenders to contact the victim before extending credit.