ID Theft detectives investigate crimes of stolen personal identifying information used to commit fraud. These ID Theft crimes include; check counterfeiting/fraud, credit card counterfeiting/fraud, and counterfeit ID manufacturing.
Using stolen credit cards and creating counterfeit credit cards has been on the rise for years. With the popularity of gift cards, ID thieves have taken advantage of the simplicity of utilizing them for fraud. Credit cards can be made with minimal special equipment and are easy to use.
Using stolen checking account information has never been easier, thanks to check writing software, inexpensive computers, and the internet. It takes very little knowledge and even less time to create and negotiate counterfeit checks.
Manufacturing fake ID's has been made easier with the internet, computer editing software, and computer hardware, all readily available to anyone. As state agencies institute security measures to complicate creating fake ID's, criminals quickly adapt and develop methods to replicate or defeat these safeguards.
Mail theft, dumpster diving, internet intrusions, and data mining are all methods used by ID thieves to access personal identifying information. Stolen personal information is traded and sold just like any goods.
The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office High Tech Crime Unit has noticed a recent increase in both internet and telephone scams, designed to extort money by catching you off guard and frightening you into paying the requested amount. Following are some of the more common schemes reported:
The caller states that there is a warrant out for your arrest, or that you have been identified in a criminal conspiracy that requires you to pay the bail or bond amount before Officers are sent to arrest you. Many times they will require payment in the form of gift cards or cryptocurrency such as bitcoin. Know that law enforcement will not contact you and request you pay any type of bail amount via telephone and typically, we don’t let you know we’re coming.
The caller states that you owe back taxes and unless they are paid in full, an arrest warrant will be issued for you. Again, payment is typically in the form of gift cards or bitcoin. Know that this is not how the IRS operates, and they do not accept bitcoin or gift cards for payment.
The caller states that you owe back payments on
utility services and that all power will be shut
off unless you immediately pay in bitcoin. Again,
utility companies do not accept bitcoin other
than outside of cash, check, or credit card.
There are a myriad of different scams, but
they all carry a central theme. Their aim
is to intimidate you into paying, and they
can be very convincing. The caller is
relentless, will not take no for an answer,
and the number from which they call may
even appear to be from the legitimate
business or agency. Know that once you
have sent gift cards or sent bitcoin,
there is no recovery method, and unfortunately,
your money is simply gone.
The best practice when receiving this type of
call is to simply discontinue it, and if you
have concerns about your accounts, contact
the business or agency at the number you
know and trust to verify there are no issues.
You can also choose to report these scams to
the Federal Trade Commission at
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ and to
the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
If you have been the victim of this type of
fraud and sent funds, notify your financial
institution and local law enforcement.
· Destroy or shred documents that include personal information before disposing of them.
· Password-protect your computer and other devices, and use anti-virus software.
· Use caution when sharing account numbers and personal information online or over the phone.
· Beware of phishing phone calls or emails where criminals ask you to provide your information to them.
· Criminals will pose as banks, retail businesses or even people you know like family members, friends or coworkers.
· Monitor your credit card accounts and bank statements. Report fraudulent activity to your financial institution right away.
· Always clear or delete your personal information before donating or selling computers and other devices.
· Protect your social security number and only give it out when legally required to. Do not carry your Social Security Card on your person or in your car.
· Change Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and passwords often. Avoid using easily available information connected to you. The easier it is for you to remember it, the easier it is for someone to guess or obtain it. Do not use the same PINs or passwords for multiple accounts. Once your PIN or password is compromised, your other accounts are vulnerable.
· Keep a copy or a scanned image of all credit cards, licenses, and other important identification and credit cards/documents in a safe place in case of physical theft or loss. Having a copy with key information available is important to be able to contact the appropriate institutions or agencies to report fraud or to cancel/replace these items.
· Obtain your free annual credit report and review it for accuracy. It can be obtained from Annual Credit Report.com at www.annualcreditreport.com.
· Consider initiating a fraud alert or placing a credit freeze on your credit report. A fraud alert is just that, an alert to creditors that fraud may be occurring. Your credit report can still be obtained as long as additional steps are taken by the requestor to confirm your identity. A credit freeze locks down your credit and prevents your credit report from being released until you unfreeze it. More information regarding these options is available through www.ftc.gov.
· Change Logins, PINs and Passwords right away.
Start with the affected accounts. If you have
used a common PIN or password across multiple
account change them all.
· Report and close fraudulent accounts. Do
not pay any charges that are fraudulent until
dispute is resolved. Contact each institution
where there is fraud and make a report with
their security or fraud departments. Each
institution has their own process or requirements
when it comes to reporting fraud. If they do
not require reports in writing, do so yourself
so you have record of the report. Fraudulent
accounts opened in your name and with your
personal information, without your knowledge,
should be closed. Accounts with fraudulent
activity that are yours should be, at minimum,
reassigned a new account number to prevent
further fraud. Ask for a letter from each
institution confirming accounts have been
closed or disputed charges have been resolved.
This will be necessary if fraudulent accounts or
other negative reports remain or reappear on
your credit report.
· Initiate a fraud alert or place a credit
freeze on your credit report. These can
help prevent further Identity Theft and fraud.
More information regarding these options
is available through www.ftc.gov or any of
the three credit bureaus.
· Request your credit reports and double
check them for any additional fraud other
then what you already know about. Continue
to check/monitor your credit report for at
least a year to ensure no further fraud occurs.
· File a report with the U.S. Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) at www.identitytheft.gov.
A FTC Identity Theft Report helps prove to
businesses that someone stole your identity,
and makes it easier to correct problems caused
by Identity Theft. You will receive a temporary
password within 24 hours to log in and download
your report.
· File a police report for Identity Theft.
You may file a report with the local law
enforcement agency where you reside and be
provided a copy of the report. If the incident
happened in a different jurisdiction, the report
may be referred to the law enforcement agency
where the incident occurred for further investigation.
1. Email your contact information to
htcu@npsheriff.net and an investigator
will contact you within 24 hrs.
2. In person at the sheriff’s office located
at 200 Church St. Natchitoches, La 71457
3. To have a deputy dispatched call the
non-emergency number at 318-352-6432.
Document everything you do and get copies
for your records; names, phone numbers,
incident or claims numbers, copies of
statements, copies of checks, etc. are
all important. Law Enforcement needs much
of this information right away to begin an
investigation. This will help the dispute
process with your financial institutions
as well as help with future criminal
investigations, and further assist your
recovery from being a victim of Identity
Theft.
· Criminal Identity Theft occurs when someone who is cited or arrested for a crime uses another person's name and identifying information, resulting in a criminal record in that person's name.
US Federal Trade Commission – www.identitytheft.gov or www.ftc.gov
Annual Credit Report.com – www.annualcreditreport.com
California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General – www.oag.ca.gov
National Fraud Information Center – www.fraud.org
Identity Theft Resource Center - www.idtheftcenter.org
Fight Identity Theft – www.fightidentitytheft.com
Credit Bureaus:
Equifax – www.equifax.com
Experian – www.experian.com
TransUnion – www.transunion.com
