Internet Safety

The Kankakee Police Department receives numerous questions from concerned parents about the internet and their children. Most of the information we receive is from well known internet sites such as: 

·                     www.safeteens.com

·                     www.wiredsafety.com

·                     www.fbi.gov

What can you do to minimize the chances of an on-line exploiter victimizing your children?

·                     Talk to your child about sexual victimization, and spend time with your children on-line. Have them show you their favorite on-line destinations. Teach your child the responsible use of on-line resources, and that there is more to the on-line experience than chat rooms.

·                     If possible, keep the computer in a common room of the house. It is much more difficult for a computer sex offender to communicate with a child when the computer screen is visible to others in the household.

·                     Use parental controls provided by your internet provider and/or blocking software. While parents should utilize these safety instruments, but not totally rely on them. Know what control are utilized at your child’s school, public library, or friend’s house.

·                     Be candid with your child about maintaining access to your child’s on-line account and e-mail, and the reasons why.

·                     Instruct your children to: 

o       Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they met on-line

o       Never upload or post pictures of themselves on-line to people they don’t know personally

o       Never give out personal information such as name, address, phone number, school name, etc.

o       Never download images from an unknown source, there could be sexually explicit images

o       Never respond to messages or bulletin board posting that are explicit, obscene, suggestive, or belligerent

The internet is a wonderful world of information and knowledge for children. However, without proper supervision the web can expose them to harmful material that is adult in nature. Make sure your children surf the internet safely.       

7 Signs of Terrorism

1. Surveillance:  Recording or monitoring activities. May include drawing diagrams, note taking, use of cameras, binoculars or other vision-enhancing devices or possessing floor plans or blueprints of key area facilities.

2. Elicitation:  Attempts to obtain operation, security and personnel-related information regarding a key facility. May be made by mail, fax, e-mail, telephone, or in person.

3. Test of Security:  Attempts to measure reaction times to security breaches or to penetrate physical security barriers or procedures in order to assess strengths and weaknesses.

4. Acquiring Supplies:  Attempts to improperly acquire items that could be used in a terrorist act. May include the acquisition of explosives, weapons, harmful chemicals, flight manuals, law enforcement or military equipment, uniforms, identification badges or the equipment to manufacture false identification.

5. Suspicious Persons:  Someone who does not appear to belong in a workplace, neighborhood or business establishment due to their behavior, including unusual questions or statements they make.

6. Dry Runs/Trial Runs:  Behavior that appears to be preparation for a terrorist act without actually committing the act. Activity could include mapping out routes and determining the timing of traffic lights and flow.

7. Deploying Assets:  Placing people, equipment and supplies into position to commit the act. This is the last opportunity to alert authorities before the terrorist act occurs.

Report Suspicious Activity

Prompt and thorough reporting of suspicious activities may prevent a terrorist attack. When reporting suspicious activity, it is helpful to give the most accurate description possible of the situation; including:

• Brief description of the activity

• Date, time and location of the activity

• Physical identifiers of the person(s) observed

• Vehicle description

• Where suspicious person(s) may have been

• Your name and contact information for follow up (optional)

Tips for Reporting

Being aware of signs indicative of terrorist planning can aid law enforcement in the discovery of possible terrorist activity. If you believe you have information that would help authorities, you are encouraged to do the following:

• Call 911 for life threatening emergencies

• Call the non emergency police department number at (815) 933-3321

• Or call the Investigations Division at (815) 933-0426

Defining Identity Theft

Identity theft is the unauthorized use of another person’s personal identifying information (name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, mother’s maiden name, etc.) to commit financial fraud.

How Identity Thieves GET Your Personal Information

·         By stealing wallets and purses containing ID, credit and bank cards

·         By stealing mail, including bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, new checks and tax information

·         By completing “change of address” forms to divert your mail to another location

·         By rummaging through your trash for personal data – a practice known as “dumpster diving”

·         By fraudulently obtaining your credit report by posing as a landlord, employer, or someone with a legitimate right to such information

·         By using personal information you share on the internet

·         By scamming you, often through e-mail, posing as legitimate companies or government agencies with which you do business

·         Through “business record theft” – stealing files from offices where you are a customer, employee, patient or student … bribing an employee who has access to your files … or hacking into electronic files

·         By taking personal information from your home

How Identity Thieves USE Your Personal Information

·         By calling your credit card issuer and pretending to be you, asking to change the mailing address on your account.  Because your bills are being sent to the new address, it may take some time before you realize there are fraudulent charges on your account.

·         By opening a new credit card account, using your name, date of birth and Social Security number.  When the bill goes unpaid, the delinquency is put on YOUR credit report

·         By opening a bank account in your name and writing bad checks on that account

·         By establishing phone or wireless service in your name

·         By filing for bankruptcy under your name to avoid paying debts they’ve incurred under your name, or to avoid eviction from their residence

·         By counterfeiting checks or debit cards and draining your bank account

·         By making expensive purchases, such as cars and high-priced electronics, in your name

·         By giving your name to the police during an arrest.  When they fail to show up for a court date, an arrest warrant is issued in your name

Types of Information to Guard From Identity Thieves

·         Social Security number

·         Driver’s license number/State ID cards

·         Mother’s maiden name

·         Current and past addresses

·         Credit and Debit card numbers

·         Personal ID numbers, access codes, and passwords

·         Passports

·         Firearm Owner ID cards

·         Employee ID cards

·         Birth certificates

·         Telephone numbers

·         Birth date

Guarding Against Identity Theft

·         Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once a year.  Check the contents carefully and make sure the information is correct and includes only those activities you have authorized.

·         Put passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts.  Avoid using easily available information such as your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number or a series of consecutive numbers.  When opening new accounts, use a password instead of your mother’s maiden name if the application asks for that.

·         Ask about information security procedures in your workplace.  Verify that records are kept in secure locations and find out who has access to your personal information.

·         Secure personal information in your home if you have roommates, employ outside help such as cleaning companies, and when you are having service work done in your home.

·         Don’t give out personal information such as account numbers over the phone, through the mail or over the internet, unless you initiated the contact.

·         Limit the amount of personal information that is printed on your checks.

·         Shred personal documents such as payment receipts and pre-approved credit offers before putting them in the trash.

·         Don’t put outgoing mail in your mailbox.  Take it to the Post Office instead.

·         Stop mail and newspaper delivery when you are planning to be away from home for extended periods.

·         Contact creditors if you suspect bills, especially credit card statements, have not arrived on time.

·         Give out your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary.  You don’t have to give the number to a business just because they request it.

·         Update your computer anti-virus software regularly.  Use encryption when possible.

What To Do If You Are A Victim of Identity Theft

·         Call the toll-free fraud number of any one of the three major credit bureaus and have a fraud alert placed on your credit report.  This can help prevent an identity thief from opening additional accounts in your name.  As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will automatically be notified to place fraud alerts on your credit reports, and all three reports will be sent to you free of charge.

·         Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.  If you close existing accounts and open new ones, use new personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords.  If there are fraudulent charges or debits, ask the company for the necessary forms to dispute the transactions.  If your checks have been stolen or misused, close the account and ask your financial institution to notify the appropriate check verification service.

·         File a report with your local police or the police in the community in which the identity theft took place.  Keep a copy of the report in case it is needed to validate your claims to creditors.

·         File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.  By sharing your complaint, you will provide important information that can help law enforcement officials track down identity thieves and stop them.  The FTC can also refer victim complaints to other appropriate agencies and companies for further action.

Contact Information

Equifax – www.equifax.com

P. O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA  30374-0241

To report fraud:  (800)525-6285 / TDD (800)255-0056

To order a credit report:  (800)685-1111

Experian – www.experian.com

P. O. Box 9532, Allen, TX  75013

To report fraud:  (888)397-3742 / TDD (800)972-0322

To order a credit report:  (888)397-3742

TransUnion – www.transunion.com

P. O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA  92634-6790

To report fraud:  (800)680-7289 / TDD (877)553-7803

To order a credit report:  (800)888-4213

To “opt out” of receiving pre-screened credit card offers:  (888)567-8688

Federal Trade Commission:

To file a complaint, visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft

Or call the FTC’s toll-free Identity Theft hotline @ (877)438-4338 / TDD (202)326-2502

or write to:

Identity Theft Clearinghouse

Federal Trade Commission

600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC  20580

Social Security Administration:

To report fraud:  (800)269-0271 / fax:  (410)597-0118

E-mail:  oil.hotline@ssa.gov

SSA Fraud Hotline

P. O. Box 17768

Baltimore, MD  21235

National Do Not Call Registry:

(800)382-1222 or donotcall.gov

Direct Marketing Association:

To “opt out” of receiving direct mail marketing:

Mail Preference Service

P. O. Box 643

Carmel, NY  10512

To “opt out” of receiving unsolicited commercial e-mails:

www.dmaconsumers.org/offemaillist.html