I tried to post this to a different board but it wouldn't stick.

I do hope someone can help with this. A few months ago I moved my dad back to the States from England and into a retirement community. It’s quite a posh place and there are loads of security personnel about. I’m not worried about his safety. But I just got a letter from administration saying that a thief had lifted mail from some of the residence postboxes. They said this could be the first step in an identity theft scam, and that I should be checking up on my dad’s credit report to make sure that there’s nothing fishy about it. Should I be worried? How often do I have to check his report? Suggestions? Thank you.

I’m glad you posted! my parents are living in a gated neighborhood too and the community board of directors just distributed some literature on seniors and identity theft. I’ll pass on some of the points:

-If your dad has internet access, make sure he doesn’t give out his SSN to anyone online (if he has a US snn, that is)

-advise him to shred or rip up any info-sensitive mail
-tell him to be careful with phone solicitors asking for information, they’re not to be trusted

Well, I know there were more points but they’ve escaped me. personally, I decided to take a shortcut. I purchased the Suze Orman identity theft protection kit and just registered their information. They place fraud flags on your accounts at each credit bureau – which means before someone opens credit in your name you will get a call for approval and authentication. I think of it as identity insurance. I hope that helps and hope your dad enjoys being back on this side of the pond!