Identity Fraud in Lane Cove

    By
    Jacky Barker
    -

    A Greenwich resident was the victim of Identity Fraud.  The Identity Fraud came to light after the victim noticed $11,000 fraudulently withdrawn from their bank account from 15 March to 1 May 2019.  The amounts were withdrawn using Paypal and cardless cash. One transaction was by a person who entered the victim’s Bank and used fake ID to withdraw cash. The victim claims to have never owned a Paypal account.

    The Police believe the offenders adopted the victim’s identity to set up a fake pay pal account and obtain fake ID. Identity theft is often linked to mail theft.

    Nearly half of Lane Cove residents live in Apartments.  Usually, apartments have letter boxes which are located in clusters at the entrance of the apartments.  These letter boxes can be easily accessed by non-residents and are becoming hotspots for undesirables to steal personal information for fraud and identity theft.  Mail theft and fraud cost the Australian community $2.2 billion each year.

    Mailbox theft is a perennial issue in Lane Cove.  It is now becoming standard practice for new apartments to have their mailboxes installed inside secure areas with an individual lock and key for each apartment. However, there are many older style apartments where the mailboxes are flimsy, and it is easy to access with a skeleton key or the slot is big enough to allow a hand to fit through it.

    If your mailboxes have been rifled through speak to your Body Corporate to ensure they have used strong locks on the letterbox. It would be a good idea to get a security firm, like Alert, to check out how secure the letterboxes are.  Another option is to arrange a mailbox from the Post Office or MBE Lane Cove (the benefit of Mbe lane cove is that you can collect your own parcels 24/7 and great if you run a business from home.)

    ITC regularly receives reports of mail theft and most reports are from apartments located on Burns Bay Road and Longueville Road.  Always question anyone who is hanging around your mailbox.  Be Alert!!

    Also check your bank statement regularly.

    Do you have a local issue you would like help with? ITC is here to help just email us at [email protected]