{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://adriansmith.house.gov/preventing-identity-theft", "Preventing Identity Theft", "2013-09-27", "2013", "2013-09", "Republican", "House", "NE", "Adrian Smith", "S001172", "adriansmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Identity theft is a growing problem affecting millions of Americans each year.\u00a0 This crime occurs when individuals use your personal information without your consent to commit fraud or other financial crimes.\u00a0 While using false credentials is nothing new, advances in technology have provided criminals with new avenues to gain access to your personal identifying information and use it for their own purposes.\nIdentity thieves also have proven adept in using current events to trick individuals into sharing personal information.\u00a0 For example, I recently heard from several Nebraskans who have received phone calls from scam artists claiming the need to send new Medicare cards, but first must confirm personal information such as their full name, address, Social Security number, or banking information.\u00a0 Others have tried to get Nebraskans to turn over this information by claiming to be Navigators for the Obamacare exchanges which are set to launch on October 1st.\nConfusion surrounding the launch of the health care exchanges, as well as the upcoming Medicare Open Enrollment period, will likely lead more criminals to seek access to personal identification.\u00a0 The Obamacare data exchange system will dramatically increase the volume and speed of personal information moving between hundreds of government and private entities through a complex and potentially vulnerable network.\u00a0 However, there are a few steps you can take to protect yourself from identity theft.\nFirst, never respond to e-mails, phone calls, or anyone at your door requesting to \u201cverify\u201d your personal information and identifiers.\u00a0 Your bank, credit card company, online payment system, and government agencies will not call or e-mail for your confidential information \u2013 they already have it.\nYou should never share personal information like your Medicare number or Social Security number with a third party online or over the phone.\u00a0\u00a0 This information may be needed if you are signing-up for a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan by calling 1-800-Medicare or by visiting:\u00a0https://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan.\u00a0 You should not provide this information if you did not initiate the call, even if the caller claims to be signing you up for Medicare or Obamacare.\nAccording to the Department of Justice, 8.6 million households were victimized by identity theft in 2010.\u00a0 Of these households, many were headed by a senior citizen.\u00a0 Please be sure to share this information with elderly relatives, friends, and neighbors who are most likely to be targeted by these scams.\nFinally, it pays to be cautious and vigilant for fraud.\u00a0 If you are unsure, do not give out your information.\u00a0 It is better to hang up the phone and verify the legitimacy of the person you are speaking with before it is too late.\u00a0 If someone calls you claiming to be from a government agency, feel free to call my office to help confirm the request is real before giving away your personal information.\nWhile not identity theft, you should also be careful about sending money to groups seeking to raise funds on issues of concern to seniors.\u00a0 There are many legitimate advocacy organizations addressing senior issues, but there are many more who use scare tactics to raise funds from seniors largely for their own personal enrichment.\nScam artists and criminals will always attempt to take advantage of innocent people for their own benefit.\u00a0 However, by staying alert, carefully guarding our information, and looking out for each other we can prevent much of the identity theft and fraud hurting millions of American families every year.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://adriansmith.house.gov/preventing-identity-theft"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0714787058532238, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}