Crime & Safety

Carroll Gardens Woman Suffers Heart Attack After Identity Stolen

The 76th Precinct is still searching for the individuals responsible

 

A Carroll Gardens woman had to be hospitalized after an unknown thief charged more than $2,300 to her bank account, according to a report filed at the 76th Precinct last month.

The victim's husband came to the local police headquarters on Monday, September 17 to report the fraudulent charges, said police. The 74-year-old Court St. resident stated that he had received a notice from Bill Me Later, a PayPal service, that $2,377.50 worth of purchases had been made at Walmart by his wife.

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But upon inquiry, his wife, also 74, knew nothing of the items charged. The woman subsequently suffered a heart attack and had to be hospitalized, said police. 

The case of stolen identity is still undergoing investigation. In the meantime, Captain Jeffrey Schiff offers these tips for preventing identity theft.

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Having your identity stolen while you are on-line can happen to anyone and can be frightening, confusing, and very inconvenient. Here are some ways to avoid it:

  • Always go directly to a website before entering your log-in information, never click on a link in an email. 

  • If you get a suspicious email purporting to be from your bank/credit card company etc, call the customer service number on your bank statement or the back of your credit/debit card and ask the representative if they sent you that email. 

  • Ensure your log-in passwords are different for every site. Often your favorite shopping website’s password will be the same as your banking password, and once a criminal has one, they often try it against other sites - with an alarming success rate. 

  • Some criminals have moved to voice phishing, whereby they call you on the phone from a spoofed caller ID pretending to be from your bank/credit card company, etc. If you get such a call, politely decline and tell them you will call back. Dial the number on your statement/card and speak to the fraud department to verify that they placed the call to you. 

  • Never give out information solicited over the phone or internet. 

  • Lastly, ensure your computer’s security software is up to date and that you are free of any malware or viruses. Your computer’s manufacturer can provide you with more detailed recommendations. 

 

If anyone has any information on this particular crime, they are encouraged to reach out to the Community Affairs Office at the 76th Precinct at 718-834-3207.


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