Show Section Wednesday March 27 2002 v v The Herald Journal- Foil ID a i Pagel - v ! thieves by shredding papers Vit Q: What is identity theft and how can I protect myself? Answer by: Barbara Rowe Utah State University Extension Resource Management Specialist Identity theft is the taking of a person's Social Security number credit card or checking account information to make unauthorized purchases andor open new accounts This crime affected 600000 consumers last year and the Federal Trade Commission reports that it accounted for 42 percent of the consumer com- plaints they received last year Consumers generally do not know they have been victims of identity theft until bills arrive for a credit card account they never opened a credit history report shows debts they never incurred or they notice unau- thorized charges on accounts The ldentity Theft Resource Center notes that this type of theft has been both time- consuming and expensive to victims in the past The average victim spent 175 hours and an average of $808 dollars column trying to clear VifiJur his or her name But this is changing A number of major creditors and three major credit reporting bureaus (Experian Equifax and TransUnionj have joined with the FTC in posting one standardized form on the FTC Web- site This allows victims to complete one document which they send to the three major ' credit bureaus as well as toeach creditor duped by the identity thief Photocopies are suit by certified mail npturn receipt requested to creditors from claiming they never received the paperwork If you have been an identity theft victim: Immediately file a report Get a copy of the police report in case your bank or insurance company needs proof of the crime Cancel your credit cards Keep a list of die toll-frphone numbers and your account numbers in a safe place Get new cards and new account numbers Contact the fraud departments at each of the three major credit bureaus report the theft and ask dial a “fraud alert” be placed in their file SO that no new credit can be granted without their approval (Equifax ' "1 - i- ' ' tI M j ! H i : f j iir 'V - I i ' It tf e u: y i— v'fA - if I ' -- y jU ( V !' i y ' -- Sharon Hauser an education manager with the Society for the Prevention of col- Cruelty to Animals has begn teaching classes on animal care in a six-ye- ar wwwxon-sumergovidthe- laboration between the Pinellas County Fla boot camp program and the county SPCA The dog she adopted Rusty has "become her teaching assistant otddooh J - Scripps Howard photo In ft JT S offenders dogs are kids ethics f03v:W pre-ve- nt - e with-polic- - 'tmoK Scripps Howard photo Jeanne Malmgren St Petersburg Times TransUnionl-800-680-728- he hoys file into the classroom and take their places behind desks Rigid spines eyes straight ahead The room is bland institutional a gray’ ' container ftir wayward human : beings 42 9) ! Report die loss to your biuik and caned checking' and savings accounts Also stop payment on outstanding checks Get a new ATM card account number and PIN Call utility companies including phone company and cell phone provider Alert them that someone may try to get new service using your identification Report fraud to the Department of Motor Vehicles Get a new driver’s license number If your keys were taken change die locks on your home and car To thwart identity thieves: f Tear or shfod charge receipts V copies of credit applications insurance forms bank ments expired credit cards and credit affen received in the maiL Check credit card and bank statements as sorm as thiey arrive to be sure no one else is using your accounts If statement doesn't arrive odtime or youfind unauthorized transactionscm your accounts contact the financial institution immediately ecx your credit reports every to year make sure no one has been usingyour credit v Don't print personal identifiers such aisyour Social Security number date of birth or driver's license num- ba on your checks ’ - w : Direct ootumn topics to Jutane Reese Utah 8tata University Extension Logan UT 84322-490- 0 t- The boys wear camouflage fatigues shiny black boots and plastic ID bracelets: Their heads are shaved cne blooms across some of their cheeks Not one of them is old enough to vote “At ease!’’ shouts aman in a black uniform Thill Instructor is stitched on the pocket “Yes sir!” bellow the boys in unison They pull out their chairs and sit Their eyes widen Before diem stands a shaggy orange dog its leash dragging on the carpet a brand-nerawhide chew in its mouth It’s slobbering ’ " relatives visit for an hour This is juvenile boot camp iri Pinellals ' County Fla and today’s lesson is about' animals How to take care of them Why mis- treating them is wrong What happens if you do The reason for the class is simple: Animal abuse is an “indicator” crime Young offenders often start by hurting animals then move on to humans Oregon school shooter Kip Kinkel 15 detonated firecrackers in cists’ mouths and shot birds and squirrels Before Luke Woodham Stabbed his mother to death and shot nine students at his Mis-sissippi high school he beat his own dog set it on fire and then bragged about it in his jour-nal calling the dog’s death his “first kill” Now here sits a roomful of juvenile offend- era ages 14 to 17 boys who’ve already been trouble with die law several times Maybe they haven’t abused an animal but they’re at risk for such behavior These boys are spend- ing several months in this complex of buildings at the edge of the Pinellas County justice center The program is mod- eled ana the US Marines’ notoriously tough boot camp at Parris Island SC Relentless physical exercise Daily marches The bellow of a drill instructor in your face Pinellas County’s boot camp has been open " By ee Experianl-888-397-37- a boot camp Someone giggles The dog wanders down die aisle and hands reach out furtively to pet it TO the boys this contact feels nice most of them get only one or two hugs a week when one-sto- since 1993 Every tvyo months or so a new group of 30 boys called a platoon is initiated Usually there are two platooijsgoing'at once Most of the boys are fresh out of juvenile detention where they served time for auto theft residential burglary aggravated battery Some were convicted of felony drug offenses For five' years representatives of the Soci- - ' ety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' have been coming here They always bring ' along an' animal or two “Good afternoon gentlemen” says Sharon Hauser SPCA education manager a woman with long blond hair and a sweet smile “Good afternoon ma'am" the boys chorus their eyes on the dog Today Hauser is accompanied hot only by Rusty but also by Beth Lockwood the-- ' SPCA's executive director Lockwood brought a second dog a small black bundle of energy named Shy ' Shy is recovering from a broken shoulder it' suffered in December when it$ owner drop- locked it 25 feet in an apartment complex : ry See DOGS on CIO Teens mix sex drugs alcohol By Christopher Herada San Francisco Chronlcte' Teenagers andyoung adults r Califano was secretary of say they think their peers mix Healtii Education and Welfare sex (bugs and alcohol “a lot” during tiie Carter administration Experts say the study under' and is noW president of the scores the need for parents and Thinking about peopto your age how often do you think they drink or Use drugs before having eex? National Center on Addiction schools to talk with teefiagers ' ' I' ' kt Columam tilt and Substance Abuse 50 about dangers of miking Sometimes bia UniVersity in New York alcohol drags and sex andfor ' Juet occasionaNy '10! At a timt when fhc Bush stepped up puUic education ' Don't khow refused administration is promoting '1 campaigns ' i r i sex education ' “The results show clearly that abstinence-onl- y How Concerned are you personalty that ybii mtght s Califano saidit is imperative fty do more eexualty than you had pianned becaijsd you mixing drinking drags and sex :r educators and parents to address t are drinking or (Ming'druge? are at feast as dangerous as die influence alcohol and drugs v'-- ' SbmewhatooncAme drinking and driying for teeps S5 Hot too concerned ii-because of the danrers of AIDS ihad onteeni’decisions: ' ' Not at el concerned ' 37 Sex education programs i odier STDs (sexually transmit- -' 21 Very concerned 'i ted diseases) teen pregnancy rarely discuss die influences ' 1 Don’t know refuaed v::' and daterape said Josqdi Cal--1 alcohol and drugs have on Beead on i random aampta til 996 tMna and young adui young people’s decisions twww t iHfXrep v Questfons from the poll - frequently use alcohol and ' drugs berore sex and are less ' likdfy to protect themselves r from prejpancy and disease whi)e under die influence a new nationwide survey shows the Henry J Hie survey Kaiser FanulyFoundation found that about of teens say they’ve had unprotect-e- d sex because of drags and alctdid About half of die lS-t-o : whoparticipated one-quart- er ’ : : i lt ( - ’ ’ m UV--"-- - J’ ' 1 1 J - — m (v ! - t - |