Author: Joe Farinaccio Added: August 14, 2008
The first thing many ID Theft victims want to know is, "How do I report identity theft to the police?" This is an important question, especially since many police departments don't want to deal with the issue of identity fraud. It's not that the police want to turn a blind eye to crime. But identity theft isn't like the physical crimes most law enforcement officers are used to dealing with. Most evidence of ID Theft activity happens in the realm of electronic databases and paper transactions. ID Theft investigations typically take a good bit of time and man-hours. Local police can't possibly investigate most crimes that stem from identity theft -- there just isn't enough money or resources. If your local police resist the idea of filling out an official police report then politely insist. One reason the police may resist filling out a report is because they think you expect them to exert a lot of time and effort investigating the crime. That, of course, is unlikely to happen. Explain to the officer or detective that you must have a police report for "informational purposes" so you can clear your credit profile and legally protect yourself against the identity thief committing crimes in your name. Also tell them that credit reporting agencies and credit grantors expect to see a police report in order to clear a profile affected by identity fraud. Prospective employers and future credit issuers also need to understand that you're the victim of a genuine, serious crime. If the police official tells you a credit grantor must report the crime before police can file a report then politely inform them this isn't the case. Have a copy of Federal Law Code 18 USC 1028a to show them -- this is the "Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act".A law that makes identity theft a "federal" offense against consumers." Identity theft is a felony under applicable state laws too. Tell them you need a police report for credit grantors to truly know you're a victim of a serious crime, which is recognized by both Federal and State agencies. You can also explain that many creditor grantors don't bother reporting identity theft because it happens so often they write it off as a cost of doing business. As the victim of identity theft, credit issuers are going to expect you to prove that any accounts you dispute (because they're fraudulent) weren't really opened by you in the first place. A police report is needed for these basic reasons. If you're persistent then you should be able to find a police official who sympathizes with your dilemma.
--- Joe Farinaccio is the author of "ID Theft 911: Step-By-Step Instructions for Stopping Identity Fraud" available at http://www.IdTheftHelp911.com
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