San Bernardino County on Identity Theft September 13, 2005 Presented by: Larry Walker Auditor/Controller-Recorder

What is San Bernardino County’s Perspective on Identity Theft? As Auditor/Controller, Recorder and Clerk for San Bernardino County, I am responsible for a wide range of official records. Many of those records are private documents entrusted to this office for a specific purpose, which is often to give notice to the public. My office is committed to keeping accurate and complete records as required by law and by our system of land ownership. We are committed to doing so in a way that protects our customers to the maximum extent possible from unauthorized use of the information contained in those documents. I have supported recent legislation to limit those to whom certified copies of birth certificates may be issued, and will continue to seek the maximum protection possible for personal information that is consistent with the law.

What is the County Doing to Prevent Identity Theft? Send out a courtesy letter to the new homeowners in the county Report all complaints to DA’s office Presentations Handouts Watch and support legislation on behalf of our constituents Collect $2.00 Real Estate Fraud Fee/goes to the DA’s office to combat this type of fraud

What is the County Doing to Catch the Identity Theft Criminals? Has developed a much closer working relationship between the Recorder and DA’s offices Provide expert witnesses when a case goes to trial Provide documentation of what was recorded or what is not recorded Statistics 2004: DA’s office received 196 contacts of which 94 actually filed a claim 2005: DA’s office so far this year has received 274 and have received 126 filed claims

What You Can Do To Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft Monitor your credit every four to six months to look for any fraudulent or unexplained activity Check the Grantor/Grantee Index in your county to see if there are any transactions that you are not aware of. Make your identity harder to steal (guard information) Be careful about providing personal information about yourself to strangers Safeguard your Social Security Number Shred personal information before putting in trash. Limit the number of credit cards you carry

What To Do If You Are A Victim Contact the fraud departments of of the three major credit bureaus; Equifax, Trans Union and Experian Close the accounts/report lost or stolen cards immediately Cell phones Checks File a police report File a complaint the DA’s office File a complaint with the FTC