Full Notification

The Torrance Police Department would like to remind you of some safety tips to help protect yourself against Identity Theft:

To guard against identity theft, never give out your Social Security number. Treat it as confidential information. 

Commit all passwords to memory. Never write them down or carry them with you. 

Don’t give personal details like credit card numbers, bank account information or social security numbers over the phone.  If you are suspicious, ask the caller for their information, get a call-back number and call the respective agency to verify.  Then, report the incident to the police.  Utility Companies and Government Agencies NEVER ask for payment to be made using a Pre-Paid Visa, MasterCard or Green Dot Card.  

When using an ATM machine, make sure no one is hovering over you and can see you enter your password. 

Adopt an attitude of healthy skepticism toward websites that offer prizes or giveaways. Chances are, all that’s been “won” is the opportunity to buy something you didn’t want in the first place.

Scam artists "phish" for victims by pretending to be banks, stores or government agencies. They do this over the phone, in e-mails and in the regular mail. Do not respond to any request to verify your account number or password. Legitimate companies do not request this kind of information in this way.

Bottom line: Never give out your personal information – unless you made the contact.

If you have been a victim of Identity Theft and you live in the city of Torrance, please contact us at 310-328-3456 to file a police report.

“See Something, Say Something”

Emergency 9-1-1

Non-Emergency: 310-328-3456