Identity Crimes

 
Definition
Statistics
Prevention Methods
Most Common Schemes
What To Do If Your Identity Is Stolen
Resources

Contact Information

Center for Identity Management
and Information Protection
Dr. Donald Rebovich,
Executive Director
315.792.3231
drebovich@utica.edu
Utica University
1600 Burrstone Road
Utica, NY 13502

Identity Crimes


Resources


Identity Theft Victims' Resources



Knowing that someone else is using your identity is quite frightening and stressful to say the least. In our continued effort to help the community, we have gathered information of New York State, federal law enforcement Agencies, and private agencies that can help guide you through the process of recovering monetary losses you might have incurred, restore your credit rating, and more.

To know what steps to take if you suspect your identity is stolen click on this link: What To Do If Your Identity Is Stolen. The information in that section is an excerpt from Martin T. Biegelman’s book entitled Identity Theft Handbook: Detection, Prevention, and Security, Chapter 20 “Preventing Identity Theft: 21 Rules You Must Use”, rule 21. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and reprinted with their permission. Copyright © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Local Law Enforcement Agencies



If you suspect you are a victim of identity theft, call your local law enforcement agency to file a complaint. It is important to obtain a police report number and/or a case number. Credit card companies, banks, and other agencies will be asking for a copy. In most instances, local law enforcement officers provide assistance clearing your name or they provide phone numbers or websites to visit that can assist you.
State Agencies

The U.S. Department of Justice division that supplies the links for resources for combating and reporting identity theft is the National Criminal Justice Resource Service (NCJRS). On their website, this organization provides resource information for twenty-five states. Click on this link to access their website http://www.ncjrs.gov/spotlight/identity_theft/programs.html.

Other states can access their own Department of the State Attorney General website, which contain helpful links to information and state programs in fighting identity theft.


Federal Agencies



Federal agencies provide the most extensive amount of resources for victims of identity theft:

  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – The FTC is the federal agency for identity theft complaints. Their site provides complaint forms, affidavit form, a sample letter to send to reporting companies, and victim’s rights information

    Federal Trade Commission
    Identity Theft Clearinghouse
    600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
    Washington, DC 20580
    1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338)
    http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/data/idt.shtm 
     
  • United States Department of Justice – This site provides prevention techniques, common scenarios, and resources for victims

    U.S. Department of Justice
    Criminal Division/Fraud Section
    10th & Constitution Ave., NW
    Bond Building, 4th Floor
    Washington, DC 20530
    Main number: (202) 514-7023
    Fax number: (202) 514-7021
    http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft.html 
     
  • United States Postal Inspection Services – The Postal Inspector Division of the United States Postal Service also performs identity theft investigations. Their website contains an informative section for identity theft victims

    Inspection Service Operations Support Group
    Attn: Mail Fraud
    Suite1250
    222 S Riverside Plaza
    Chicago, IL 60606-6100
    1-877-876-2455
    https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/contactUs/filecomplaint.aspx 

     
  • The United States Secret Service – This division is responsible for bank fraud, access device fraud involving credit and debit cards, telecommunications and computer crimes, fraudulent identification, fraudulent government and commercial securities, and electronic funds transfer fraud. Their website has useful information, telephone numbers, links, and complaint forms to complete if you are a victim of fraud.

    U.S. Secret Service
    245 Murray Drive,
    Building 410,
    Washington, DC 20223
    202-406-5708
    http://www.treas.gov/usss/financial_crimes.shtml 
     
  • Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) – The IC3 is co-sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). Victims of identity theft can file complaints through their website. Once the complaint is processed, the IC3 may refer your case to federal, state, local or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for possible investigation. It is recommended that aside from filing a complaint with the IC3, that you file a police complaint with your local law enforcement agency. It is very important for you to obtain a police report.

    http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx 

     
  • Office to Victims of Crime – This site provides links to a multitude of additional websites where victims can get information, examine federal laws, or report a crime

    http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/help/it.htm

     
  • U.S. Department of Education (DOE) – Students may be particularly vulnerable to identity theft, and the use of fraudulent identities to obtain federal education money. The DOE has set up a website for those who suspect they are a victim of fraud.

    Inspector General's Hotline
    Office of Inspector General
    U.S. Department of Education
    400 Maryland Avenue, SW
    Washington, DC 20202-1510
    1-800-MIS-USED

    http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/misused/index.html 

     
  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – If you suspect that your identification has been used in a scheme in rental housing under HUD, this website contains useful information needed to file a complaint.

    HUD OIG Hotline, GFI
    451 7th Street, SW
    Washington, DC 20410
    Telephone: 1-800-347-3735 or
    hotline@hudoig.gov
    http://www.hud.gov/offices/oig/Fraud%20Prevention%20Pamphlet.pdf 

     
  • U.S. Social Security Administration – This site contains useful information if you suspect your Social Security number has been used in identity theft.

    Social Security Administration
    SSA Fraud Hotline
    P.O. Box 17768
    Baltimore, MD 21235
    1-800-269-0271
    e-mail: oig.hotline@ssa.gov
    http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10064.html 

     
  • econsumer.gov – This is an agency that allows consumers to report fraud related problems with foreign companies. It is an initiative of The International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN), which is a network of governmental organizations involved in the enforcement of fair trade practice laws and other consumer protection activities. Complaints can be filed online.

    https://www.econsumer.gov/en/
     

Private Agencies and Advocacy Groups



Credit Reporting Bureaus



  • TransUnion
    1-800-680-7289
    www.transunion.com
    Fraud Victim Assistance Division
    P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

     
  • Equifax
    1-800-525-6285
    www.equifax.com
    P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

     
  • Experian
    1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
    www.experian.com
    P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013

     
  • AnnualCreditReport.com
    This is the only official site available for consumers to request free credit reports
    www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp 

    Other web sites offer a “free” credit report, but it is run by one of the credit bureaus. Consumers must purchase a credit monitoring service in order to receive the “free” credit report.
Top of Page