Medicine bottles found blowing in the wind.

WILLIAMS – While walking the streets, today, we found these medicine bottles that, apparently, blew from a residents trash can and was blowing around town. They had pharmaceutical labels which might be used to steal an identity. We removed the labels and shredded them without recording any names.

Northern Arizona Gazette would like to remind everyone to take care to secure their identities, particularly through the holiday season. Is someone looking over your shoulder while you enter your PIN? Does your wallet block RFID chips? Do you account for all of your receipts after a day of holiday shopping?

Do not shop on an Internet site whose address does not begin wit “https://.” If you are expecting packages from Amazon, Chewy or other online sites, try to be home when they are expected. Do not open emails if you do not recognize who sent it. If a “government agency” or “company” calls asking for personal information, make them give you a phone number that you can call back to. Check the number in your favorite search engine. Reputable companies will NOT ask you for personal information via email or over the phone. Your local law enforcement office probably has had complaints about certain activities by people attempting to steal personal information or identities. If you are suspicious, call them or check their Facebook or Twitter feeds.

We recommend that you be proactive about protecting your identity over the holiday season. It tends to get so busy that you may not catch something on your credit card until it is too late.