Identity Crimes

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

• ConsumerAffairs - A consumer news and advocacy organization that assists with choosing the best companies to do business with. ConsumerAffairs offers, both consumers and business owners, a neutral site where they can share and respond to unbiased feedback and well researched information. Working closely with industry experts, ConsumerAffairs also offers an extensive amount of guides and how-to articles. They have published a comprehensive guide on how to check if you are a victim of identity theft. The guide can be found here:
  https://www.consumeraffairs.com/finance/how-to-check-for-identity-theft.html
  
  297 Kingsbury Grade, Suite 1025, Mailbox 4470
  Lake Tahoe, NV 89449-4470
  1-866-773-0221
  https://consumeraffairs.com
  
   
• Identity Theft Resource Center – This is a nonprofit group for identity theft victim support and public awareness of identity theft crime.
  
  P.O. Box 26833
  San Diego, CA 92196
  (858) 693-7935
  http://www.idtheftcenter.org 
  
   
• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse – This is a nonprofit consumer information and advocacy program.
  
  3100 - 5th Ave., Suite B
  San Diego, CA 92103
  (619) 298-3396
  www.privacyrights.org 
  
   
• Victims Assistance of America, Inc. – These are non-profit advocates for victims of identity theft.
  
  P.O. Box 33752
  Washington, DC 20033
  (502) 292-2456
  www.victimsassistanceofamerica.org 
  
   
• Safety.com Identity Theft Resources
  
  Article: 'ID Theft Coronavirus Scares and Scams: Advice from the Experts'
  https://www.safety.com/digital-safety/coronavirus-identity-theft-expert-tips/
  
  For information on Identity Theft Protection services, see:
  https://www.safety.com/identity-theft-protection/
  
   
• Stay Safe Online – This is an educational website of the National Cyber Security Alliance; a government/private industry joint venture promoting cyber-security awareness and education.
  
  Neill Edwards
  202-482-7473
  neill.edwards@ciao.gov
  http://www.staysafeonline.org/ 
  
   
• Retirement Living Identity Theft Protection Guide - The Identity Theft Protection Guide helps consumers determine the best identity theft protection service to fit their needs. The guide evaluates the best companies in the industry and answers frequently asked questions. It is helpful for all consumers, especially seniors and is available to use and share at no cost.
  
  Identity Theft Protection Guide:
  https://www.retirementliving.com/best-identity-theft-protection
   

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.

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