Spokane police warn of identity theft scam

Police believe a con artist has targeted widows in an attempt to get personal identification information and use it to commit fraud.

A woman whose husband died last month recently received a call from a person claiming to be from an area hospital, said Spokane Police fraud detective Stacey Carr at a press conference Wednesday. The caller said she needed the woman’s husband’s birthday and Social Security number for insurance paperwork.

The widow gave the information but later grew suspicious and checked caller ID, said police spokesman Dick Cottam. The number was from a pay phone.

Another woman had a similar experience a few days later but did not provide the information, Cottam said.

Carr said the department does not have enough evidence or personnel to pursue the case, but police wanted to warn the public about the scam.

The caller likely got the women’s names from newspaper obituaries, Carr said.

Police say most identity theft is committed by people who have drug addictions.

“They’re going to do whatever they can come up with to get the funds they need to support their habits,” Carr said

No one should give their Social Security or other ID numbers over the phone unless he or she made the call, Carr said.

Carr also recommends that people make sure that they aren’t fraud victims by getting their credit reports from www.annualcreditreport.com every few months. The site allows users to get one report a year from each of the three major credit agencies. Carr said people can check their credit free every few months by selecting a different agency each time they request a report.