Newnan Police Department has issued a warning of another of the internet scams that continue to plague the worldwide web. The most recent scam showed up through the department’s email, said Newnan Public Information Officer Gina Snider.

City of Newnan Police have received a mass email from a “Douglas Randall” claiming the recipients won money, but only if they send their personal information including bank accounts to him, Snider said.

“Please do not send any of your personal information over the internet,” she said. “Citizens need to stay alert to these kinds of emails and be vigilant in not falling for the these scams. Newnan Police would like to remind all citizens about internet identity scams. These kinds of emails can be sent to you at anytime.”

Identity theft and fraud occur when someone gets access to your personal information, such as credit card accounts, social security and driver’s license numbers or bank information, Snider said. That person then uses that obtained information to apply for a credit card, make unauthorized purchases or apply for a loan in your name.

Snider said people often do not realize that they have been a victim of identity theft or fraud until they receive a call from a collection agency about a bill that they did not charge. Or they get their monthly credit card statement and find purchases on the bill that they did not make. By this time it will require some time and effort on their part to set the various records straight and clean up their accounts, she said.

Snider suggested several steps citizens can take to minimize their risk of encountering fraud or identity theft in their own affairs. First, keep your personal information private and in a secure location. Do not offer your sensitive information to anyone over the phone or via the internet unless you are confident that it is a legitimate business. Never give out your social security number unless it is absolutely necessary. Don’t keep documents with account numbers or passwords in your car, where someone could find them easily if your car was broken into, said Snider.

Snider also suggested shredding any and all documents that contain important financial information as well as address and phone number before throwing them away. If a purse or wallet is lost, report the incident immediately to all necessary companies, including credit reporting agencies. This will ensure that banks and credit card companies will be on the lookout for identity theft and fraud on your account, she said.

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