Department And Obtained A Police Report Number Related To Your Identity Theft: Fill & Download for Free

Question: My ex bought a house and a car using my social security number How should I handle this?Not really how it works.You are claiming that your ex (assuming an opposite gender relationship) bought high dollar items using your credit. How was that possible without someone from the mortgage company calling your job to confirm employment, or the same occurring from the auto finance company? If this was 1990, when identity theft and fraud were unknown to the average person, this would be possible. Now 30 years later, it’s difficult to obtain credit for yourself, much less someone else doing it using your information.On the off chance that this is a legitimate question:Contact an attorney immediately as you are about run into a number of legal problems - The attorney will sit down with you an explain your issues better than I can here.Obtain a credit report as soon as possible and put a credit freeze on all three credit reports - You may have thousands of dollars in other charges out there and you’ll need to contact those creditors when you are attempting to repair your credit.Contact your local police department and file a criminal complaint - Don’t expect much assistance as identity cases are common and most departments have small fraud sections. Basically you’ll need the report from them to give to the creditor that your ex defrauded to make certain that YOU are no longer on the hook for what he purchased.File an Federal Trade Commission complaint (See below) - This may be necessary to give to the creditors who have been defrauded by your ex. And if the crimes reach the federal level, you may this as evidence that it wasn’t you but your ex.Check your state’s corporate filings to see if your ex used your identity for anything business-related - Setting up a company using someone else’s identity is relatively easy, and your ex may have been defrauding people on a massive scale. Better safe than sorry.Unfortunately questioner, if this was 1990, your tale would be easier to believe.However it’s 2020 and for what you claim to happen would require a number of steps which would have run into roadblocks, and which should have alerted you when they were occurring. Your attorney will be able to explain that in detail.Reference:Report Identity Theft

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Steven who wanted to be a police officer, really bad. He was only 18, so he had to be diligent in trying to find police agencies that would hire him. I met him when I was working as a Records Clerk for a mid-sized police department while I attended college and he was a police explorer for the same agency. He would talk to me frequently about which agencies he had applied with and interviewed with, mostly because I was the only other person he had met that had interviewed with the California State Police (they have since become extinct as an agency). I was later told that he had been fired from our agency because he had been taking the police cars to the car wash (that’s always helpful), but then driving Code 3 (lights and siren) back to the police station. That is not an approved method of drying the police vehicles.When I moved on the local university police as a police officer, I didn’t think too much of Steven, until I was in Briefing one day, flipping through the BOLs (Be On The Lookout printouts). There, on a flyer from the California State Police was Steven. The flyer said that Steven had been driving around our county, in his white, Ford Tempo, pulling people over with a red spotlight, and then telling them he was a State Police officer. I was slightly amused, but I didn’t imagine that I would interact with him again.Years later, I read a newspaper article about Steven. It seemed that Steven had finally gotten hired as a civilian police officer on a local military base. But while working there, he decided to purchase a fully outfitted police car from the CHP, using department letterhead and (I guess) his personal checking account. He painted this police car with the logo of a fictional federal law enforcement agency, like the Western District Federal Police, or something similar. He then went down to a local county courthouse and obtained a handful of outstanding warrants and set out to serve them.Steven drove around that county (not my county, but about an hours drive away) and served a bunch of arrest warrants, taking people into custody and booking them into the county jail. Unfortunately, one of the people he arrested was not the person from the warrant; it was a case of mistaken identity that the arrestee couldn’t resolve…because he was developmentally disabled. Much later, when the family finally found their disabled relative in jail, they raised holy hell (as they should). The Sheriff’s Office demanded to know which agency had booked the young man into their jail. Um…the Western District Federal Police? Who the F*** is that? I imagine someone shouting at shrugging shoulders.Steven was located and arrested for his crimes and sentenced to federal prison. I was telling a group of my students this story at the police department when my Captain walked in. My Captain had come to my agency from the local airport police department and he was an excellent commanding officer and kind of a badass. He listened to the story for a moment and said, “That sounds like Steve Nemec.”Shocked, I told him that it was Steven. The Captain then shared with us that while he was working at the airport, he began hearing reports that someone was driving around the tarmac in a white, Ford Tempo, with a magnetic sign on the door that said “FAA Inspector.” The Captain said this person would board commercial aircraft and inspect them. The Captain began searching this person out and finally caught him and sure enough, it was Steven. Steven, following his stint in federal prison, was out on probation, which required that he not work in either law enforcement or security, immediately went out and got a job with airport security. It was during his lunch breaks that he felt the need, or desire, to pretend to be an FAA Inspector. He was arrested for a violation of his probation.But that is not the end of the story. If you want more, simply Google “Steven J. Nemec” for the rest.Part II: To answer your specific question, though, I did have to actually deal with a fake cop. The dispatcher sent me to a call that she couldn’t quite explain over the radio, so I called her on the phone so that she could explain better. She told me that last year, one of the investigators had been looking into a case about a man wearing a gun to class. The professor at the time was concerned because he wasn’t sure if the man was a police officer or not. It seemed that the student was very non-committal when asked about it. When the investigator started to look into it, the man stopped coming to class. But on this day, the student had returned and was waiting for something in the department office.I went to the department office to contact this man, unsure of what I was walking into. I met, we’ll call him Adam, at the department office and saw immediately that he was wearing a full Navy uniform. I explained that I was trying to investigate a weapons violation that may have occurred last year and asked if he was a peace officer of any kind. Adam said that he was a peace officer with the California Youth Authority, but that he had recently been activated by his Navy Reserve unit and was busy trying to get some unfinished business resolved prior to being shipped to the Middle East. Even though it all appeared in order, something about him seemed off. With Steven Nemec rolling around in my head, Adam’s behavior piqued my suspicion.I confirmed that he didn’t have a firearm on him and he was unable to show me his agency ID because he had left it with his firearm. I asked him if I could search his car to determine that he did not have a gun in his car. He said that was okay. When we got out to his car, I saw that his 20 year old Nissan had registration that was expired by about a year. California law allows police officers to tow away vehicles from public property that have expired registration over six months. When I asked for the key, Adam changed his mind and rescinded his consent to search the car. That’s fine, I told him, but I was going to tow his car for expired registration and department policy required that I conduct an inventory search prior to towing.I searched the car and found a local police agency ticket book, a large metropolitan police agency’s training video, a personal checkbook belonging to some random person, and a stack of letters his creditors with certified mail receipts. No gun, but again, things seemed off. I asked about the items and his answers were vague and non-committal. (If I actually try to recreate the conversation, this will go on way too long). But so far, this was enough for me to investigate a form of theft in the Penal Code called Theft of Lost Property, as he told me that he had found the items, but had made no effort to return them. I placed him in custody, towed the car, and drove him to the police station.I placed him in the holding cell, but removed his handcuffs because he was being cooperative. I asked for his commanding officer’s name and unit number and called the local Air Force Base, where he said that his unit was waiting until they where shipped out. I called the Air Force and asked them for the unit that Adam had identified. They had no idea what I was talking about. They asked me to go back and confirm the unit number. I went to the holding cell and immediately noticed that all of his navy insignia were gone. I went in and found all the insignia in his pocket.I said, “You aren’t even in the Navy, are you?”He responded, “I’d like to be.”I went and apologized to the Air Force. No one wanted to press charges for the lost property, so I had to release him as a detention only, but I kept those letters. It seemed that he was asking all his creditors to forgive his debts due to his activation by the US Navy Reserves, per the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act. I called the Postal Inspectors and spoke to them. The US Attorney requested copies of the evidence and pursued a case against Adam for a mail fraud case. I do not know the final outcome.During the course of this investigation, I learned that Adam had been a county probation officer for less than a year, and had never worked for the California Youth Authority or any other law enforcement agency. When I stopped him, he was working for a local grocery store as a loss prevention officer. He had never been in the Navy. At some point, his fiancée called me to ask why he was being harassed. I asked her what he did for a living and she told me that he was a cop, that he put on his badge and gun every morning and went to work. I told her the truth. Strangely, she believed me right away.

Well, aside from the shop and spend spree, there is the very messy “Identity theft”, and as you can see below, this is no fun:5 Steps to Take Immediately If You’ve Been a Victim of Identity TheftKimberly RotterJanuary 15, 2014; Updated: December 16, 2019[The discovery of identity theft is bound to be one of the most anxious and stressful moments a person can experience. When an identity thief gets his (or her) hands on your personal information, they gain the power to wreak havoc on your finances, credit, and reputation.Minimize the chance that you will fall victim to an identity thief, and find out what to do if you suspect your identity has been compromised. Credit Sesame has created this guide to arm you with knowledge about how and when identity theft can happen, what the warning signs are, what prevention measures you can take, and what you can do to respond to identity theft in your life.What is identity theft?In simple terms, identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information, such as your name and Social Security number, without your permission. You might think of identity theft as most often related to credit or banking. For example, a thief opens a credit card in your name uses it to make purchases. In reality, the scope is much broader.Tax- and wage-related identity theftmage Source | Redirect NoticeTax- and wage-related fraud is the most common type of identity theft, accounting for 45 percent of all reported cases. Tax identity theft happens when someone steals your identity and files a fraudulent tax return in your name. Wage-related fraud occurs when someone uses your identity to earn and collect wages.2. Financial identity theftFinancial identity theft is the use of your personal information for financial gain. The credit card example above is a good example. Fraudulent access to your bank account is another. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that credit card fraud and bank fraud account for 16 percent and 6 percent, respectively, of all identity theft cases, reported annually.3. Medical identity theftA medical identity thief uses your identity to get healthcare. If you’ve ever received a doctor bill in the mail for treatment that you don’t remember getting, you could be a victim of medical identity theft. Medical identity theft not only leaves a stack of medical bills, it also causes incorrect information to be placed in your medical file.Child identity theftChildren are often targeted by identity thieves. One reason is that children have clean credit files. They haven’t had a chance to let any bill go unpaid. So with careful use, a child’s identity is the ticket to a smorgasbord of credit. Also, in many cases the fraud is not discovered for many years, so the thief has plenty of time to fully leverage the stolen identity. Perpetrators are often relatives. Javelin estimates that in 2015, 1.2 million parents received notifications that their child’s Social Security number had been compromised.5. Driver’s license identity theftWhen an identity thief targets your wallet, he may be looking for more than cash and credit cards. Your driver’s license can be used to hide the criminal’s true identity in the commission of various types of crimes. Imagine the financial and insurance nightmare you’ll face if a fraudster gets speeding tickets or wrecks a car while claiming to be you.6. Criminal identity theftIn an even worse -case scenario, an identity thief could use your information to commit a more serious crime, or hurt someone.How much do identity thieves steal?Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the U.S. Between 2014 and 2015, identity theft complaints to the Federal Trade Commission increased by 47 percent. According to Javelin Strategy & Research’s 2016 Identity Fraud Study, identity thieves stole $15 billion from 13.1 million U.S. consumers in 2015. Collectively, identity thieves made off with $112 billion over the past six years, which breaks down to $35,600 stolen every minute.The Javelin study revealed that one type of identity theft increased by 113 percent in 2015: new account fraud. This spike is in response to the nationwide implementation of the EMV Compliance Mandate, which places fraud liability on businesses that fail to upgrade their point-of-sale systems to accommodate EMV chip credit cards. Overall, new account fraud accounts for 20 percent of all fraud losses.Identity theft can happen anywhere. Here in the U.S., Missouri has the highest per capita rate of identity theft reports, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, followed by Connecticut and Florida.Identity theft and your creditYour credit score is a primary consideration when lenders evaluate your application for a credit card, car loan, mortgage or other credit product. Identity theft can impact your score in a big way.Generally speaking, credit scores are based on a handful of factors, including:Payment historyHow much of your available credit you’re usingThe age of your credit accountsThe types of credit you’re usingHow often you apply for new creditIdentity theft can affect all of these factors and bring your score down in the process. For instance, if a thief opens three new credit cards in your name, the inquiries will each lower your score, your overall file age will go down (and your score with it), the balances will affect your utilization ratio, and the payment history (or failure to pay) will have a big impact on your credit rating. o affects the average age of your credit history.The key thing to remember is that identity theft hurts your credit the most when it goes unnoticed. Once you catch on, you can take steps to shut down fraudulent accounts and clean up your credit. More on that in a minute.Are you legally responsible for fraudulent charges?When you find out that someone has racked up debt in your name, the first thing you may wonder is whether you’ll be on the hook to pay it back. When identity theft involves a debit or credit card, your losses are limited under the Fair Credit Billing Act and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act.Liability for fraudulent credit card chargesThe Fair Credit Billing Act caps your liability for unauthorized credit card purchases at $50, and many credit card issuers lower this to $0. If you report a lost or stolen card before it is used, your liability is always zero. Also, if someone steals your credit card number but not the card itself, you’re not liable for any unauthorized use.Liability for ATM and debit card fraudFor stolen ATM and debit cards, your liability depends on how quickly you report the loss or theft.Your liability is $0 if you report a lost or stolen card before any unauthorized charges are made. Your liability is $50 if you report within two business days after you learn of the loss or theft. If you wait more than two but less 60 days to report a lost or stolen debit card, your liability is $500. After 60 days, your liability has no upper limit. Report identity theft as soon as you suspect it.What to do when your identity is stolenIf you suspect identity theft, act quickly to minimize any negative consequences. Below are some key steps to take to stop an identity thief in their tracks.The first thing you should do is to sign up for Credit Sesame’s credit monitoring service now before you become a victim. Credit Sesame membership is 100% free, and no credit card is required to sign up. All Credit Sesame members get $50,000 in free identity theft insurance and live support through the process of identity restoration.1. Put a fraud alert on your credit reportsA fraud alert puts a red flag on your credit report and notifies lenders and creditors that they should take extra steps to verify your identity before extending credit. To place a 90-day fraud alert on all three of your credit reports, you only need to contact one of the three credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion). When you place the initial alert, the agency will automatically notify the other two for you.When you place a fraud alert on your credit reports, you’re entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each of the three agencies. Be sure to obtain them. If you find fraudulent items on your credit report(s), the simplest way to begin the dispute process is to click the dispute button while viewing your credit report online. Some items must be disputed in writing and with supporting documentation. Hard inquiries cannot be disputed but may give you a clue as to where a thief has applied for credit in your name.Initial fraud alerts are free and remain in place for 90 days. In some cases, extended fraud alerts incur a small fee, but under most circumstances, fraud alert services are free to victims of identity theft.Another option—and a more effective identity theft prevention measure—is to place a security freeze on each of your credit reports. A freeze prevents creditors (except those with whom you already do business) from accessing your credit report(s) at all. Most new applications will automatically be declined because, without access to your file, the creditor will have no way to evaluate your credit. With a security freeze in place, you will need to take extra steps if you wish to apply for new credit. Each agency has a procedure for temporarily “thawing” your file in order to allow a legitimate application to be processed. Unlike a fraud alert, you’ll need to contact each credit reporting agency individually to place a freeze on your files. See more information about credit freezes here:Not every state allows credit freezes to be placed by consumers who are not victims of identity theft, but every state allows identity theft victims to freeze their files. Some states charge a fee to freeze the file, and another fee to thaw it.2. Contact any institution directly affectedIf you know your credit card was stolen, report the theft to the credit card issuer. If your checkbook or debit card was stolen, contact your bank.For this step, it’s really helpful if you’ve prepared a list of institutions and phone numbers in advance. Don’t write down account numbers, PINs or passwords — that would be just one more way for a thief to gain access to your personal information. But know what you’ve got. Keep a list of what’s in your wallet, along with the contact information for each item. The best place to keep this list is on an encrypted secure online file storage site.3. Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)File an Identity Theft Affidavit and a police report (see #4 below), and create an Identity Theft Report. You can file your report online, by phone (toll-free): 1-877-ID THEFT (877-438-4338); TDD (toll-free): 1-866-653-4261, or by mail — 600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington DC 20580.The FTC will provide you with information about what to do next, depending on what type of fraud was (or may have been) committed.4. File a police reportTo complete the Identity Theft Report, you’ll need to contact your local law enforcement office and report the theft. Be sure to get a copy of the police report and/or the report number. Both your police report and the FTC Identity Theft Affidavit combine to create your Identity Theft Report. Your Identity Theft Report will help you when working with the credit reporting agencies or any other entities the identity thief may have contacted to open accounts in your name.5. Protect your Social Security numberIf your social security number was or may have been compromised, contact the Social Security Administration (800-269-0271) and the Internal Revenue Service (800-829-0433).It’s important to talk to the SSA and the IRS if you have reason to believe your Social Security number has been compromised, even if you don’t yet see any evidence of financial fraud. A thief could be planning to swipe your tax refund or to obtain employment or health care in your name.. Contact the Post OfficeIf you have reason to believe the identity thief may have submitted a fraudulent change-of-address to the post office or has used the U.S. mail to commit the fraud against you, contact the Postal Inspection Service, which is the law enforcement and security branch of the post office. Fill out the online form.This list is not exhaustive. These are only the first few steps. Indeed, clearing the wreckage of identity theft can be a laborious and complex process. For more information about how to prevent or recover from identity theft, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission offer a wealth of information and will walk you through the steps.Preventing identity theftThe best defense against identity theft is a good offense. The more proactive you are about preventing identity theft, the better. Here are some things you can do to minimize the risk that you’ll fall, a victim.Lockdown your Social Security number. Carrying your Social Security card in your wallet is a big no-no. Store it in a safe or a bank safe deposit box if you have one, or in a place at home where no one will stumble across it. Be very cautious about who you share your Social Security number with. Many people who ask for it routinely – including your doctor or dentist – do not need to have it. Your social security number should never be used as a form of ID. If you’re not applying for credit, keep it private. Never give out your SSN over the phone (unless you are 100% of the identity of the caller) or via email.Steer clear of phishing emails. Technology has made it possible for hackers, scammers and identity thieves to find their way into your inbox. You might receive a seemingly legitimate email from your bank or credit card issuer asking you to click on a link to verify your account information. When you click on it, however, you inadvertently give an identity thief access to your login details. Always verify the source of emails and double-check the URL on any website where you log in or enter personal details. Don’t download files unless you are sure of the sender.Be smart about mobile banking and shopping. Shopping and banking from your phone or mobile device are convenient but it will lead to headaches if an identity thief is able to intercept your personal information. If you use a shopping or banking app in a public place, don’t log in through public Wi-Fi. Also, shelter your entries from the view of anyone nearby who may be able to see your screen.Use complex, unique passwords and change them regularly. Security experts agree across the board that we shouldn’t use the same user ID or password for multiple accounts. Otherwise, an identity thief who cracks the code can access all of those accounts. Instead, use different passwords to update them every few months. The passwords you use should include letters, numbers, and symbols. Use a random password generator to create unique, complex passwords for each account, and keep them in an online password safe so that you won’t have to worry about remembering them.]