Identity theft is the unlawful use of another person's personal information, such as name and date of birth, credit card numbers, social security number or driver's license information for the purpose of committing fraud or some other form of deception. It is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. The unauthorized use of another person's identity is in itself a crime under both federal and Massachusetts law, it is almost always a means of committing other crimes such as bank fraud, check fraud, credit card fraud, internet fraud, the fraudulent obtaining of loans, avoiding criminal detection and prosecution and financing of terrorist organizations.
Obtaining a person's identity is as easy as stealing trash, a dishonest retail employee skimming your credit card or simply copying the name, account number, expiration date and code number from your credit card. It may be the theft or loss of a wallet or purse. Your information may have been electronically intercepted via the internet or the simple act of stealing your mail. Regardless of how your information may have been compromised, prompt detection and reporting to law enforcement, creditors, credit reporting bureaus and the Federal Trade Commission are your first steps in protecting your good credit.
The Northborough Police department is committed to assisting you in this effort. Your first step is to report the compromise to us and obtain a copy of your police report. Make several copies as you will be sending them to your creditors and others investigating your case. For your convenience several links are provided at the end of this section that will help you navigate your way through what can easily become the identity theft nightmare.
If you have questions regarding identity theft or the steps you should take in the event that you are a victim of this crime please contact the Investigative Services Bureau or Detective Sergeant William Lyver at 508-393-1522
Useful Links
Equifax credit Information Services www.equifax.com 800-525-6285
Experian Information Solutions www.experian.com 888-397-3742
TransUnion www.transunion.com 800-680-7289
Federal Trade Commission www.consumer.gov/idtheft 1-877-ID-THEFT
Social Security Administration www.ssa.gov/oig 800-269-0271
Once you have reported that your Identity was compromised to the police department follow these four steps. All links are active.
REMEBER: Keep a detailed log of all your actions and contacts including names of all those ou speak with from the time you discovered that your information was compromised.
- Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts, and all three credit reports will be sent to you free of charge.
- Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts.
- File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.
- File your complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps us learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having so that we can better assist you. ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name.
ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name.