Tips for Mount Airy Main Street Merchants about the best practice to report identity theft.

 

Identity theft is widespread across the country and represents numerous challenges for law enforcement to contend with. Many of these crimes are committed by foreign actors aided by electronic communications that are easily disguised and difficult for local, state, and federal law enforcement to trace and investigate. This has required law enforcement to become creative in the way it managed identity theft reporting.

 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has simplified the process by eliminating the need for a police report in most cases. Identity theft can be reported by using IdentityTheft.gov. The victim will be required to answer some questions about what happened. IdentityTheft.gov then uses their information to create the tools they need to begin their recovery.

 

Mount Airy Police Department (MAPD) protocol for victims that do not suffer a monetary loss is to refer the victim to the IdentityTheft.gov website to make their report. If the victim demands a police report be taken or if the officer feels that an investigation should be initiated locally, the officer will do so. Anytime there is a monetary loss associated with the identity theft then MAPD protocol requires the responding officer to take a report. Cases will be investigated by the MAPD until they are either solved and prosecution occurs or all investigatory leads are exhausted or until the case can be referred to another police agency in another jurisdiction to further the investigation.

 

Please see the attached link for information on reporting identity theft to the FTC.

 

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/04/most-id-theft-victims-dont-need-police-report