IDENTITY THEFT
Identity theft is an increasing problem for the American public and law enforcement.
In a recent survey compiled for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 1.5% of those
interviewed reported discovering in the past year that their personal information
had been misused to open new credit accounts, take out loans, or engage in other
types of fraud. The study's conclusion: the survey results suggest that almost
3.25 million Americans discovered that their personal information had been misused
in this kind of fraud in the past year. As part of my office's commitment to combat
identity theft, we work with the FTC. According to information in the Commission's
Sentinel Database, you may be a victim of identity theft. If another state or
federal prosecutor has filed charges as a result of your allegation, please ignore
this request. However, if your allegation has not resulted in a criminal prosecution,
I strongly encourage you to complete and return the enclosed questionnaire. While
the information you provided to the FTC is helpful, our assessment of the facts
of your case would be facilitated if you would submit the questionnaire in the
postage-paid envelope and any supporting materials to me.
My office has completed a number of successful identity theft prosecutions. Successful prosecutions are possible if victims and state, local, and federal law enforcement are committed to this effort. Given the interstate nature of identity theft, this collaborative effort is particularly important. Without it, we will be unable to assess whether a crime occurred and whether it should be referred for investigation.