Crime Prevention - ID Theft
Dear Concerned Citizen:
Identity theft and its associated financial crime is one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation. The Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse reports that the number of identity thefts reported nationwide grew from l6l,896 in 2002 to 255,613 in 2005. Tennessee ranked twenty-sixth in the nation, at 61.3 victims per 100,000 population. Of the major metropolitan areas across the country, the Memphis, Shelby County area ranked below the top fifty in numbers of victims per 100,000 population.
In response to the seriousness of this crime and the confusing array of information given to citizens on “what to do” in the event they are victims of Identity Theft, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has compiled this document for victims that contains an identity crime incident detail form, contact numbers, and steps to be taken. We would like to acknowledge the Federal Trade Commission and the United States Secret Service for their assistance and service in contributing to this document.
In the document titled: “Identity Theft Crime Victim Assistance Kit”, you will find four immediate steps to take if you find yourself a victim of identity theft. Complete these four steps first and then read the remaining information in the kit to see if there are any other steps you should be taking for your individual case, including how to minimize the chance of becoming re-victimized. The “Identity Crime Incident Detail Form” should be completed by you after filing the crime report. Detectives may ask for some or all of the information during their follow-up investigation.
By helping victims of Identity Theft speed up the process to report the crime to the appropriate agencies, victims can more quickly start the process to protect themselves from further damage or financial loss. If you have questions or would like more information, please call the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Detective Division at (901) 545-5600.
Sincerely,
Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.
Sheriff of Shelby County
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