Richard Nicol considers himself lucky even though he’s out about $400.
“Never in my lifetime did I think I’d be the victim of identity theft,” the 70-year-old Meadville resident said.
Nicol discovered Monday about $400 in unauthorized spending on gift certificates for Apple’s iTunes store using the debit card number linked to his checking account at Meadville Area Federal Credit Union. He discovered the deductions while checking his account online.
Nicol contacted the credit union Monday to cancel the card, but the money can’t be refunded since it was linked to his checking account and already withdrawn.
Nicol isn’t sure how his account number may have been obtained, but said it may have been through a transaction at a merchant.
“Debit cards can be marvelous and they can be devastating,” said Nicol. “I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll take the time to write the checks.”
Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett is urging consumers to be cautious about identity theft during the holidays.
His office offers a number of tips to avoid identity theft:
n Review all credit card and bank statements as soon as they arrive and contact your bank or card company immediately if you discover any unauthorized charges.
n Keep your personal information in a safe location (only carry the credit cards and other items that you need to make a purchase).
n Shred all unwanted credit card and other financial “junk” mail.
n Don’t give personal information over the phone or by e-mail to a request or sale you didn’t initiate. Identity thieves may pose as representatives of banks, Internet service providers and even government agencies to get you to reveal information.
n Check your credit history regularly. Every consumer is entitled to one free credit report each year from the three major credit bureaus. Space out a report requests from each of the bureaus to spot potential problems over the course of a year.
Keith Gushard can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.
Local News
Local man victim of identity theft
- Local News
-
-
Conneaut Lake Park roars into 120th season
Conneaut Lake Park’s 120th season is officially under way with its in-keeping-with-tradition, four-day Memorial Day weekend opening, and the “crowds are coming in,” Jack Moyers said Saturday.
-
Area communities ready to celebrate Memorial Day
Editor’s note: The following Memorial Day events have been reported for publication in The Tribune. All events are Monday, except those in Edinboro and Shermansville, which are planned for Sunday. -
Remembering Civil War Bucktails
A glimpse into daily life of the Civil War era is easy to see in Crawford County.
-
Area Memorial Day events
The following Memorial Day events have been reported for publication in The Tribune. All events are on Monday, except the one at Edinboro that is planned for Sunday.
-
Civil War soldiers highlight Meadville Memorial Day events
A courageous Meadville man — wounded three times but remaining on a Civil War battlefield until he was too weak to continue — is being remembered this Memorial Day as the Meadville Area Memorial Day Committee continues its mission of observing the 150th anniversary of the War Between the States.
-
Police: Locals admit to killing Ohio woman
Two Cochranton women were arrested and jailed on homicide charges early Thursday after allegedly admitting they killed an Ohio woman and buried her body in a shallow grave near their residence recently.
-
Reader 'Faces' are coming in
Mom's car dash, Meadville, PA
Lucy Kedzierski, 12, looks at the face every morning waiting for school bus!
She took this with a cell phone. -
North Street Project sure to be 'very disruptive'
With the preliminary traffic control plan for Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s North Street Project complete, Meadville City Manager Joe Chriest summed up the anticipated impact of the project, which is expected to span the entire 2013 construction season. “This is going to be very, very disruptive,” he said Wednesday.
-
Boat business booming in warm weather
It’s been a booming business in boats this spring, according to some area boat dealers.
-
City leaders not concerned after financial downgrade
During the past five years, Moody’s Investors Service has assigned three different ratings — all within the range of “upper medium grade” to the City of Meadville’s bonds. In 2007, the city was given a rating of A3, the lowest of the trio. In 2010, the city’s bond rating was raised to A1, the highest ranking in the “upper medium” category. Monday, Moody’s gave the city’s $10,000,000 General Obligation Bonds, Series of 2012, which went on the market Monday, the middle rating of A2.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
