The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Fraud Unit investigates several different fraud related crimes that include counterfeit and forged checks, credit card fraud, embezzlement, financial identity fraud and the different scams that may be used to trick unsuspecting people into handing over their money.  Each of these crimes cost each victim time and money trying to rectify the situation.  As consumers and business owners, we must each take steps to protect ourselves.  The only way to avoid the cost and inconvenience of being a victim of these crimes is to strive to prevent them from happening to you.

Please select from the following Frequently Asked Questions to view more information regarding Identity Theft.

• What is ID Theft?
• How can ID theft affect me?
• How can my information be used?
• How can someone obtain my information?
• What can I do to protect myself?
• I am a victim….what do I do now?
• Web based resources….
• Important numbers…..
• File a "Financial Identity Fraud Report" Online

•  An FTC study released in September of 2003 found that 27.3 million Americans have been victims of identity theft in the last five years
• That same study showed that (1 in 8) adults nationwide learned that they had been a victim of identity theft in the past five years
• In the past year alone, almost 10 million adults were victims of identity theft.

• Open credit card accounts in your name or add authorized users to your existing accounts 
• Open bank accounts in your name (to find out if an identity thief has passed bad checks in your name call 1-800-262-7771) 
• Obtain loans in your name (real estate, auto or personal) 
• Establish utilities (power, gas or phone) in your name
• Obtain cell phone accounts in your name
• Counterfeit checks using your bank account information and drain your account

How can someone obtain my information?
An individual can obtain your personal information by:

• Stealing your wallet or purse 
• Breaking in to your vehicle 
• Stealing your mail 
• Filling out a change of address form to divert your mail to another address 
• Going through your trash looking for financial documents or pre-approved credit offers
• Going through the trash at businesses or "dumpster diving" 
• Stealing it from businesses where you are a customer, patient, student or getting it from an employee who may have access to the information 
• Scamming you into giving it to them.  They may pose as an employee from a legitimate sounding business and ask you for the information to open up or to update an account
• Gathering the personal information that you share on an unsecure website

• Review your credit reports with the three major credit bureaus annually to ensure the accuracy of those reports  
• Know who you are giving your personal information to and how it will be used 
• Minimize the amount of personal information that your carry in your wallet.  Do not carry extra credit cards or your social security card
• Do not place outgoing mail in your mailbox—place outgoing mail in a secure box
  Install a locked mailbox for incoming mail or use a post office box
• SHRED IT OR DREAD IT!!!!  Never throw away financial documents, receipts, or pre-approved credit offers without shredding them first
• Reduce the amount of your information in circulation.  Consider removing your name from the marketing lists of three major credit reporting agencies.  This will limit the number of pre-approved credit offers you receive
• Never write down your passwords or personal identification number (PIN)…memorize them!!! 
• Protect your social security number—release it only when necessary
• Pay attention to your billing cycles and follow up with companies if your bills do not arrive on time
• Secure personal information in your home so that it is not readily accessible to others
• Never leave personal or financial information in your vehicle
• Password protect your cellular, utility, credit card and bank accounts.

• File a report with the jurisdiction where the crime occurred.  If the offense occurred in Mecklenburg County, or the jurisdiction where the crime occurred will not take a report AND you live in Mecklenburg County, call 311 to file a police report or click here to file one on line
• Contact one of the three (3) major credit reporting bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) to report the fraud.  Ask that a fraud alert be placed on your file and request a copy of your credit report.  The other two credit bureaus will automatically be notified to place a fraud alert on your credit file and all three reports will be sent to you free of charge
• Review your credit report for accuracy
• Contact the creditors for the accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently to close those accounts.  Advise them of the fraudulent use of your information and request that they send you a fraud dispute form.  Most creditors will accept the FTC fraud affidavit  http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/affidavit.pdf 
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  The FTC maintains a database that law enforcement can use to assist with their investigations.
  

• Act quickly and be persistent!!!
• Follow up with creditors in writing
• Keep a log documenting who you have spoken with and when you spoke with them
• Keep an organized file including any correspondence you have received and documentation you have collected
• Do not pay any bill or portion of a bill that is a result of a fraudulent account.