The FBI announced today that an existing fraud tip line is now accepting information from the public about suspected fraud associated with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Tips should be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud, (866) 720-5721. The line is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, e-mails can be sent to disaster@leo.gov or information can be faxed to (225) 334-4707.

Fraudulent activity can take many forms. For example, individuals may claim to be raising money for environmental causes or offer fraudulent services pertaining to the oil spill, such as remediation services. Others may submit false insurance claims for property damage.

>> Read more at fbi.gov.

BBB of Southern Arizona | Promote Your Page Too

Consumers can protect themselves against identity theft and also protect the environment by taking steps to reduce unwanted mail, Better Business Bureau advises.

“Some forms of unsolicited mail can put consumers at risk of identity theft,” said Kim States, BBB President. “Consumers can take control of their mailboxes by opting out of credit card offers, coupon packs and other types of unwanted mail.”

Reducing the volume of mail you receive can make a big difference in the amount of solid waste a household generates. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that Americans throw away more than 4 million tons of mail a year. That garbage can be a gold mine for identity thieves.

Pre-approved credit card offers can be an easy target for identity thieves. They can steal incoming mail and use the offers to open fraudulent credit card accounts. Consumers can opt out of credit card offers for at least five years by calling 1-888-567-8688 or by visiting www.optoutprescreen.com. Your Social Security Number and birth date are required, but they are encrypted for your protection.  The service is offered by the three major credit reporting bureaus.

Unsolicited mail that is addressed to children under 13 years old can be a sign that identity theft has occurred. If a child is getting unwanted mail, parents should contact the three credit bureaus and inform them of the situation. The credit bureaus and their numbers are:

• Equifax: 1-800-525-6285.
• Experian: 1-888-397-3742.
• TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289.

Catalogs can easily overrun a consumer’s mailbox. Some catalog companies hand your address over to others, resulting in an avalanche of mail. You can ask individual companies to stop sending you catalogs by contacting them directly, or you can stop mass mailings by e-mailing Abacus, an alliance of catalog and publishing companies, at optout@abacus-us.com or by writing to Abacus Inc., P.O. Box 1478, Broomfield, CO 80038.

Some mail can be stopped by contacting organizations that represent direct marketers. In some cases, codes or addresses from the mail may be required to process a request.

The Direct Marketing Association, a trade group representing 5,200 companies that use telephone, mail and the Internet to pitch products directly to consumers, gives consumers the option to opt out of mail. (more…)

Better Business Bureau of Southern, along with World Care of Tucson, the Sierra Vista Police Department, Ace Hardware, and Shred-it of Tucson collected and destroyed over 10 tons of paper, and 10,399 lbs. of used electronics at Sierra Vista’s annual ShredFest on Feb. 20.

“This is a great opportunity to keep your information secure, do a favor for the environment and support BBB’s community education efforts,” said Kim States, BBB President. “We can’t thank the community enough for supporting this second-annual event.”

Paperwork was securely shredded and recycled by Shred-it of Tucson, a BBB Accredited business. As Arizona has become the identity theft capital of the U.S., it’s more important than ever for Southern Arizonans to be careful when disposing of paperwork. BBB recommends paper-shredding as the most reliable way of destroying sensitive documents.

All electronic items were collected by World Care of Tucson, and will now be reused in schools, clinics and other institutions nationally and internationally. Computers not used in humanitarian efforts are sold to the public at World Care’s book and thrift store. Items deemed unusable were recycled for their plastics, metals, glass, and other parts. This last process is especially important as discarded computers produce harmful and toxic waste.

For more information on safely destroying personal documents, electronics and protecting your identity, visit www.tucson.bbb.org.