The Financial Crimes Unit is
responsible for investigating crimes in
which a financial instrument is used by
the criminal element. These cases
include offenses of credit card abuse,
identity theft, counterfeit or forged
checks, false statement to obtain credit
and counterfeit U.S. Currency cases (in
conjunction with the U.S. Secret
Service).
The investigation of these cases are
detailed in nature, require specialized
investigative techniques and take an
extraordinary amount of time to
complete. The suspect has to be
positively identified and the case must
meet the minimum criteria to be assigned
to a detective. The investigation will
involve following a paper trail to build
the case for prosecution. If the case
does not meet the minimum criteria
and/or if the required documentation is
not received, a case will not be
investigated.
How To Make A Report
If the crime is in progress, call 911.
If you are reporting an old forgery,
credit card/debit card abuse, worthless
check or identity theft, call
409-880-3862 to make the report over the
phone between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday
through Friday, excluding holidays. You
can also file a report online at any
time by going to the Beaumont Police
Department
Police to
Citizen (P2C)
website.
When sending any documents to the
Beaumont Police Department, please be
sure to include your case number.
Documents received without a case number
will be returned.
If at all possible, we prefer that you
mail or fax all information to the
address/fax number listed below. Because
of the volume of work done daily, it is
very hard to see victims on a face to
face basis. If you must bring
information in to our office, please
call ahead for an appointed time, so
that we can make sure there is ample
time to see to your specific needs. Once
we have received the above documents,
your case will be reviewed to determine
if there is sufficient information
available to proceed with an
investigation. The investigator assigned
your case will notify you if further
information is required. Your
cooperation is appreciated.
Beaumont Police Department Fraud Unit
P.O. Box 3827
Beaumont, Texas 77704
Phone: (409) 880-3830 (Hours 8:00 am -
5:00 pm Monday through Friday, excluding
holidays)
Fax: (409) 880-3895
Worthless Checks
In order to file a worthless check
complaint, the following procedure must
be followed:
The check must have been returned from
the bank marked either "Insufficient
Funds," "Account Closed" or "Stopped
Payment."
A
"Worthless Check
Notice"
(10-day) letter must be sent by
certified mail, return receipt
requested. Mail the letter to the
address shown on the check and address
it to the person who signed the check.
This is state law and required for all
worthless check cases. If the claim stub
(green card) is returned, signed and
dated, then the 10-day waiting period
starts from the date the letter was
claimed. However, you may bring in the
unclaimed letter along with the check as
soon as it is returned to you.
You must complete one
"Felony Check
Statement"
for each check you wish to file charges.
You must either be able to pick the
person who passed the check out of a
photo line-up or have taken proper
identification at the time the check was
passed. If the check is less then $1,500
you must file your case directly with
the Jefferson County District Attorney’s
Office and not the Beaumont Police
Department. If the check is $1,500 or
more, you should call 409-880-3862 to
make the report over the phone between 8
a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday,
excluding holidays. You can also file a
report online at any time by going to
the Beaumont Police Department
Police to
Citizen (P2C)
website. You are required to complete
one offense report for each check. After
completing your offense report and
obtaining a case number, you must
download and complete the
"Felony Check
Statement".
You will be contacted by a detective to
provide the documents and original
evidence.
The following checks are not accepted
for investigation by the Beaumont Police
Department:
Third Party Checks
Checks Accepted for Payment on Account
Rent or Mortgage Checks
Post Dated Checks
Credit/Debit Card Abuse
The following individuals/institutions
may report credit/debit card abuse to
the Beaumont Police Department:
Cardholder: If the card was
stolen in the commission of a robbery,
theft or burglary, be sure and list the
card and number in the original offense
report you make with the Beaumont Police
Department. It is not necessary to make
a separate report at this stage. If only
the card or card number was stolen, then
you may make an offense report for
credit/debit card abuse.
Merchant/Financial Institution:
You may file a report if the offense has
not already been reported. If the
cardholder provides you with a case
number specifically for credit/debit
card abuse, use that case number for all
purposes, including submitting merchant
forms and other additional information.
The Beaumont Police Department will only
investigate offenses where the card was
physically passed in the Beaumont city
limits or if used online and the items
purchased were shipped to or the benefit
gained at an address within the Beaumont
city limits. All other reports will be
cleared as unfounded and not assigned to
a detective.
After completing your report online and
receiving a case number, write the case
number on all forms before mailing.
Submit all required forms at one time.
The forms and report will be reviewed
and assigned to detectives based upon
factors that affect the ability to file
the case with the Jefferson County
District Attorney’s Office.
Required
Forms
Merchant Form
-- A Merchant Form must be completed by
the merchant at each location the card
was used.
Credit-Debit Card
Affidavit
-- The account holder must complete and
provide this form before any case is
investigated. This form must be
notarized.
Non-Consent Form
-- This form is required in all cases.
Forgery
The person reporting a forgery is
normally the person or business that is
going to suffer the financial loss. That
person or business will either have the
original returned check or a bank
certified copy in lieu of the original
document. Just because a check was
passed/drawn on your account does not
mean you are the person that will be
reporting the offense.
You must have the original returned
check or bank certified copy to make an
offense report. Only checks physically
passed within the Beaumont city limits
will be investigated. The checks must
have been passed in person and the
suspect either positively identified or
known to the victim.
After completing your report online and
receiving a case number, write your case
number on all forms before mailing.
Submit all required forms at one time.
Do not mail any original checks or other
evidence. The forms and report will be
reviewed and assigned to detectives
based upon factors that affect the
ability to file the case with the
Jefferson County District Attorney’s
Office. If your case is accepted for
investigation, you will be contacted by
the detective.
NOTICE TO MERCHANTS -- The account
holder may have already completed an
offense report for the actual theft of
the checks. This theft case is not
normally investigated. Each merchant
must make their own offense report for
forgery.
Required
Forms
Merchant Form
-- The merchant or financial
institution, who is normally the victim,
must complete one Merchant Form for each
forged check being submitted. If you are
submitting 10 checks, you must submit 10
Merchant Forms.
Affidavit of
Forgery
-- The merchant must obtain an Affidavit
of Forgery from the account holder.
Multiple checks may be listed on one
form. An Affidavit of Forgery is a
notarized sworn statement attesting that
the signature which appears on the
questioned document is indeed a forgery
and not authorized by the account
holder. This form must be notarized.
Non-Consent Form -- This form is required in all cases.
Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when a crook
steals key pieces of personal
identifying information, which may
include name, address, date of birth,
SSN and mother’s maiden name, to gain
access to a person’s financial accounts.
Armed with this information, an identity
thief may open new credit or financial
accounts, buy cars, apply for loans or
Social Security benefits, rent an
apartment, or set up utility and phone
services in someone else’s name.
The following individuals may report
identity theft to the Beaumont Police
Department:
A. If you live in the Beaumont city
limits and have learned you are the
victim of identity theft regardless of
where the suspects are located, you may
make an offense report.
B. If you live outside the Beaumont city
limits, but have documented information
that the address used by the suspects in
the commission of the offense is located
within the Beaumont city limits, then
you may make an offense report.
The only cases that will be assigned to
a detective for investigation are the
cases where the suspect is documented as
being within the Beaumont city limits
and you provide that information in the
offense report. All other cases are
considered informational cases only
which aid the victim in resolving the
many issues that arise from these
crimes. The Beaumont Police Department
will not automatically forward any
reports to other law enforcement
agencies. If you choose to make a report
with the Beaumont Police Department when
the suspects are located elsewhere, it
is your responsibility to report the
offense to the other agency as well.
About Identity Theft
It is important to remember that the
victim of identity theft is a person
whose identity has been fraudulently
assumed by another with the intent to
obtain credit, goods, or services
without the victim's consent. No
financial loss is necessary. Identity
theft includes the criminal assumption
of someone's name, address, credit card
information, driver's license, social
security number and other personal data.
Criminals use this information to
impersonate their victims, spending as
much money as they can in as short a
time as possible before moving on to
impersonate someone else.
Even though victims are usually not
required to pay their imposters' bills,
they are often left with a bad credit
report and must spend months and even
years regaining their financial health.
In the meantime, they have difficulty
writing checks, obtaining loans, renting
apartments, and even getting hired.
Stealing wallets used to be the best way
identity thieves obtained credit card
numbers and other pieces of
identification. Now more sophisticated
means are commonly used:
Accessing your
credit report fraudulently by posing as
an employer, loan officer or landlord
and ordering a copy;
Stealing mail from your mailbox to
obtain newly issued credit cards, bank
and credit card statements, pre-approved
credit offers, or tax information, and;
Dumpster diving in your trash containers
for discarded credit card and loan
applications.
IDENTITY THEFT PREVENTION TIPS
The Beaumont Police Department suggests
the following crime prevention
techniques to avoid becoming a victim of
Identity Theft:
To minimize the amount of
information an identity thief can
steal, do not carry extra credit
cards, a social security card, birth
certificate or passport in your
wallet or purse, except when needed.
To reduce the amount of personal
information that is in circulation
consider the following:
Remove your name from the marketing
lists of the three major credit
reporting bureaus, i.e., Equifax,
Experian (formerly TRW) and Trans
Union. This will limit the number of
pre-approved offers of credit that
you receive. These offers, if thrown
away in the trash, are potential
targets of identity thieves who will
use them to order credit cards using
your identity.
Sign up for the Direct Marketing
Association Mail Preference Service
and the Telephone Preference
Service. By doing this, your name is
added to computerized name deletion
lists used by nationwide marketers.
Have your name and address removed
from telephone books and reverse
directories.
Install a locked mailbox at your
residence or business to reduce mail
theft or use a post office box.
When you order new checks, do not
have them sent to your home address.
Have them sent to a post office box
or arrange to pick them up at your
bank.
When you pay bills, do not place the
envelopes containing your checks in
your home mailbox for the letter
carrier to pick up. If stolen, your
checks can be altered and cashed by
identity thieves. It is best to mail
your checks and other sensitive mail
at the post office rather than your
home or neighborhood mailbox. Write
checks with a fine-point permanent
marker.
Pay bills with an electronic bill
payment service.
Reduce the number of credit cards
you actively use to a bare minimum.
Carry only one or two credit cards
in your wallet. Cancel all unused
credit card accounts. Even though
you do not use these accounts,
account numbers are recorded in your
credit report along with other data
that can be used by identity
thieves.
Keep a list and/or photocopy of all
your credit cards, account numbers,
expiration dates and telephone
numbers of the customer service and
fraud departments in a secure place
(not your wallet or purse) so you
can quickly contact your creditors
in case your credit cards are
stolen. Do the same with your bank
accounts.
Never give out your credit card
number or other personal information
over the telephone, unless you have
a trusted business relationship with
the person or company and you have
initiated the telephone call.
Identity thieves have been known to
call their victims with a fake story
that goes something like this,
"Today is your lucky day! You have
been chosen by the "Jane and John
Doe Sweepstakes Committee" to
receive a free trip to Europe. All
we need is your credit card number
and expiration date to verify you as
the lucky winner."
Order your credit report once a year
from each of the three major credit
bureaus to check for inaccuracies
and fraudulent use of your accounts.
Make sure that you recognize every
line of information established in
your file.
Always take credit card receipts
with you. Never throw them in a
public trash container.
Watch the mail when you expect a new
or reissued credit card to arrive.
Contact the issuer if the card does
not arrive.
When creating a password or Personal
Identification Number (PIN), do not
use the last four digits of your
social security number, date of
birth, middle name, the name of your
family pet, consecutive numbers of
anything else that could easily be
discovered by identity thieves.
Ask your financial institution to
add extra security protection to
your account. Most will allow you to
use an additional code (a number or
word) when assessing your account.
Do not use your mother's maiden
name, as that is all too easily
obtained by identity thieves.
Memorize all your passwords. Do not
record them on anything in your
wallet or purse.
Protect your social security number.
Release it only when absolutely
necessary (tax forms, employment
records, most banking, stock and
property transactions). The social
security number is the key to your
credit and bank accounts and is a
prime target of identity thieves.
Do not have your social security
number printed on your checks. Do
not let merchants write your social
security number on your checks
because of the risk of fraud.
Order your Social Security Earnings
and Benefits Statement once a year
to check for fraud.
Carefully review your credit card
statements for unauthorized use.
Do not throw preapproved credit
offers in the trash or in a
recycling container without first
shredding them. The discarded credit
offers can be used by identity
thieves to order credit cards in
your name and to have the credit
cards mailed to their address.
Do the same with other sensitive
information like credit card
receipts. Home shredders can be
purchased at many office supply
stores.
Demand financial institutions to
adequately safeguard your data.
Request a special password that only
you would know. Memorize all
passwords. Discourage your bank from
using the last four digits of the
social security number as the PIN
they assign to customers
When you fill out loan applications,
find out how the company disposes of
them. If you are not convinced that
they store them in locked files
and/or shred them take your business
elsewhere. Some car dealerships,
department stores, car rental
agencies, and video stores have been
known to be careless with customer
applications. When you pay by credit
card, ask the business how it stores
and disposes of the transaction
slip. Avoid paying by credit card if
you think the business does not use
adequate safeguards.
Store your cancelled checks in a
safe place. In the wrong hands, they
can reveal a lot of information
about you. Never permit your credit
card number to be written on your
checks. It places you at risk of
fraud.
Any entity involved in handling
personal information should train
all its employees, from the top to
the bottom, on responsible
information-handling practices.
Persuade the companies, government
agencies and nonprofit agencies with
which you are associated to adopt
privacy policies and conduct privacy
training. Employees should be
trained to check picture
identification cards when accepting
credit cards.
IDENTITY THEFT VICTIM TIPS
If you become the victim of identity
theft, it is important to act
immediately to stop the thief's further
use of your identity. Unfortunately, at
this time victims themselves are
burdened with resolving the problem. It
is important to act quickly and
assertively to minimize the damage. In
dealing with authorities and financial
institutions, keep a log of all
conversations, dates, names, and
telephone numbers. Note the time spent
and any expenses incurred. Confirm
conversations in writing. Provide your
police report number to expedite
reporting the crime. Send correspondence
by certified mail (return receipt
requested). Keep copies of all letters
and documents. Sometimes victims of
identity theft are wrongfully accused of
crimes committed by an imposter. If a
civil judgment has been entered in your
name for actions taken by an imposter,
contact the court where the judgment
was entered and report that you are a
victim of Identity Theft. If you are
wrongfully prosecuted of criminal
charges, contact the state Department of
Justice and the FBI. Ask how to clear
your name.
The Beaumont Police Department suggests
you also do the following:
Report the crime to all police and
sheriff departments with jurisdiction in
your case immediately. Give them as much
documented evidence as possible. Obtain
a copy of all police reports. Keep the
telephone number of your fraud
detective/investigator handy and give it
to creditors and others who require
verification of your case. Credit card
companies, banks, and insurance
companies may require you to show the
report in order to verify the crime.
Some police and sheriff departments have
been known to refuse to write reports on
such crimes. Be persistent!
Immediately contact (by telephone and in
writing) all creditors with whom your
name has been used fraudulently. Obtain
replacement cards with new account
numbers for your own accounts that have
been used fraudulently. Ask that old
accounts be processed as "account closed
at consumer's request." (This is better
than "card lost or stolen," because when
this statement is reported to credit
reporting bureaus, it can be interpreted
as blaming you for the loss.) Carefully
monitor your mail and credit card bills
for evidence of new fraudulent activity.
Report it immediately to credit
grantors.
If you have had checks stolen or bank
accounts set up fraudulently, notify
your bank. Report the fraud to check
verification companies. Place stop
payments on any outstanding checks that
you are unsure of. Cancel your checking
and saving accounts and obtain new
account numbers. Ask the bank to issue
you a secret password that must be used
in every transaction (not your mother's
maiden name). Write a form letter that
can be mailed or faxed whenever you
receive an inquiry about fraudulent
checks written from your bank account.
The letter should give a brief
description of what happened, check
numbers and check manufacturer (obtained
from your bank), bank account number,
case number (assigned by police or the
law enforcement agency with
jurisdiction), the name of the police or
sheriff detective/investigator handling
your case, and the name and telephone
number of the customer service
representative at your bank.
You may be asked by banks and credit
grantors to fill out and notarize fraud
affidavits, which are costly. The law
does not require that a notarized
affidavit be provided to creditors. A
written statement and supporting
documentation should be enough (unless
the creditor offers to pay the notary).
Overly burdensome requirements by
creditors should be reported to federal
government authorities.
The Secret Service has jurisdiction over
financial fraud cases but it usually
does not investigate individual cases
unless the dollar amount is high and/or
you are one of many victims of a fraud
ring. To interest the Secret Service in
your case, you may want to ask the fraud
department of the credit card companies
and/or banks, as well as the police or
sheriff detective/investigator to notify
the particular Secret Service agent they
work with regarding your case.
Call the Social Security Administration
(SSA) to report fraudulent use of your
Social Security number. Also, order a
copy of your Social Security Earnings
and Benefits Statement and check it for
accuracy. As a last resort, you might
want to change your number. The SSA will
only change it if you fit their fraud
victim criteria. Caution: This step
should be reserved for only the most
extreme situations. You must be sure to
notify all credit grantors and credit
reporting bureaus of your new Social
Security number.
Notify the local Postal Inspector if you
suspect an identity thief has filed a
change of address with the post office
or has used the mail to commit credit or
bank fraud against you. Notify the local
Postal Inspector if you suspect mail
theft. Theft of mail is a felony. (Call
the local Postmaster to obtain the
telephone number). Find out where
fraudulent credit cards were sent.
Notify the local Postmaster for that
address to forward all mail in your name
to your own address. You may also need
to talk with your mail carrier.
If you have a passport, notify the
passport office to be on the lookout for
anyone ordering a new passport
fraudulently. |
Call electrical, gas and water
utilities. Alert them to the possibility
that someone may attempt to open new
service using your identification.
You may want to change your driver
license number if someone is using your
license as identification to pass bad
checks. Call the Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV) to see if another license
has been issued in your name. Place a
fraud alert in your DMV records. Go to
your local DMV office to request a new
driver license number. Also, fill out a
DMV complaint form to begin the fraud
investigation process. Send supporting
documents with the completed form to the
nearest DMV investigation office. Be
persistent!
You may want to consult an attorney to
determine legal action to take against
creditors and/or credit bureaus if they
are not cooperative in removing
fraudulent entries from your credit
report or if negligence is a factor.
Call the local Bar Association to find
an attorney who specializes in consumer
law and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Pay attention to your own mental health.
Victims of identity theft often report
they are somehow to blame. They often
feel violated, even powerless, due to
the fact that few, if any, of the
authorities they have notified of the
crime step forward to help them.
Psychological counseling may help you
deal with the stress and anxiety
commonly experienced by victims. Discuss
your situation with a trusted friend,
spiritual advisor or counselor.
Do not give in and do not pay any bill
or portion of a bill, which is the
result of Identity Theft. Do not cover
any checks, which were written and/or
cashed fraudulently. Your credit rating
should not be permanently affected, and
no legal action should be taken against
you. If any merchant, financial
institution or collection agency
suggests otherwise, simply restate your
willingness to cooperate, but do not
allow yourself to be coerced into paying
fraudulent bills. Write to your state
and federal legislators. Demand stronger
privacy protection and fraud assistance
by creditors and credit reporting
bureaus.
Finally, speak with the detective
investigating your case, he or she may
be able to assist you in obtaining a
fingerprint comparison if the suspect
has ever been arrested or has used your
name during an arrest. You may be able
to obtain information regarding any
warrants connected to the arrest, this
may also help in reestablishing your
credit or obtaining a new social
security number.
CREDIT REPORTING BUREAUS
Contact credit reporting bureaus for
names and telephone numbers of credit
grantors with whom fraudulent accounts
have been opened. Ask the credit
reporting bureaus to remove inquiries
that have been generated due to the
fraudulent access. You may also ask the
credit reporting bureaus to notify those
who have received your credit report in
the last six months in order to alert
them to the disputed and erroneous
information (two years for employers).
Immediately call the fraud units of the
three credit reporting bureaus, i.e.,
Equifax, Experian (formerly TRW) and
Trans Union. Report the theft of your
credit cards or numbers. Ask that your
accounts be flagged. Also, add a
victim's statement to your report, up to
100 words. ("My Identification has been
used to apply for credit fraudulently.
Contact me at (telephone number) to
verify all applications.") Be sure to
ask how long the fraud alert is posted
on your account, and how you can extend
it if necessary. Be aware that these
measures may not entirely stop new
fraudulent accounts from being opened by
an imposter. Ask the credit bureaus in
writing to provide you with free copies
every few months so you can monitor your
credit report.
EQUIFAX
To report fraud call:
800-525-6285 or 800-685-1111
To order a copy of credit report
write:
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 To dispute
information in credit report write:
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374-0256 To opt out of
pre-approved offers of credit write:
Equifax Options
P.O. Box 740123
Atlanta, GA 30374-0123
Call: 888-5OPTOUT (888-567-8688)
EXPERIAN (formerly TRW)
To report fraud call: 888-397-3742
or Fax: 800-301-7196 To
contact Experian Consumer Fraud
Assistance write:
P. O. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013 To order a copy of
credit report write:
P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013-2104
or call: 888-EXPERIAN
(888-397-3742) To dispute information
in credit report contact:
Experian at the address and telephone
number provided on your credit report.
To opt out of pre-approved offers of
credit and marketing lists call:
800-353-0809
TRANS UNION
To report fraud, call:
800-680-7289
To report fraud, write:
Fraud Victim Assistance Division
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92634 To order a copy
of credit report write:
P.O. Box 390
Springfield, PA 19064
Call: 800-916-8800 To dispute
information in credit report call:
800-888-4213 or call the telephone
number provided on your credit report or
use "investigation request form"
provided by Trans Union when you order
your report. To opt out of pre-approved
offers of credit and marketing lists
call: 888-5OPTOUT (888-567-8688)
Remember, if you have been denied credit
you are entitled to a free credit
report. If you are the victim of fraud,
be sure to ask the credit reporting
bureau for a free copy of your credit
report. In 1997, a law became effective
requiring credit reporting bureaus to
provide credit reports free of charge to
victims of identity theft.
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
If your Social Security number has been
used fraudulently, report the problem to
the Social Security Administration (SSA)
at 800-269-0271. You may also
order your Earnings and Benefits
Statement by calling the SSA at
800-772-1213. For extreme cases of
Identity Theft, they may be willing to
change your Social Security number.
DIRECT MARKETING ASSOCIATION
To remove your name from mailing
lists (Direct Marketing Association)
write to:
Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735 To remove your
name from telephone lists (Direct
Marketing Association) write to:
Telephone Preference Service
P.O. Box 9014
Farmingdale, NY 11735
REPORTING THEFT OR FRAUDULENT USE OF
CHECKS
To report theft or fraudulent use of
your checks call:
CheckRite: 800-766-2748
International Check Services (ICS):
800-526-5380
Equifax: 800-437-5120
TeleCheck: 800-710-9898
ChexSystems (Regarding closed checking
accounts only): 800-328-5121 or
800-428-9623
CrossCheck: 707-586-0551
SCAN: 800-262-7771
SUMMARY
When Identity Theft occurs, you need to
act quickly, know what to do, who to
contact and fully understand your rights
under the law. Identity Theft exerts
great emotional distress on its victims.
Damage containment in each fraud case
depends on how deeply the imposter has
invaded your personal, professional and
financial life. There are many
preparatory actions one can take to
prevent Identity Theft.
The information on this Web site is meant
to educate consumers. You can never be
too careful, prepared, or aware. Share
this information with family and
friends. Schedule family discussions,
ensure everyone is aware and prepared in
the event an identity thief strikes.
Identity Theft Related Links
Federal Trade
Commission
Social Security
Administration
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I keep recieving "hot check"
notices from merchants. What am I
supposed to do?
A: Contact the merchant and advise
them that someone is forging your checks
and supply them with the police report
number and have the merchant send the
original check to the Financial Crimes
Unit.
Q: Why is the original document
required to file charges?
A: We have to be able to tie the
suspect to the forged check. This is
often done by processing the prints on
the forged check and comparing them to
the suspect. No charges can be filed if
the suspect can not be linked to the
check.
Q: My checks or credit cards were
stolen in the mail. Can I report them
stolen?
A: Yes, however, you must report
this to the U. S Postal Inspector. They
have jurisdiction for investigating
thefts involving the U. S. mail.
Q: What if my checks or credit cards
are stolen from my purse?
A: If your checks are stolen from
anywhere other than the mail, call
409-880-3862 to make the report over the
phone between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday
through Friday, excluding holidays. You
can also file a report online at any
time by clicking
here.
Q: What do I do if someone uses my
identity to open a charge account or
checking account in my name?
A: You may reduce your risk of being
victimized if you do the things listed
below.
Charge or Credit Account:
Immediately contact the issuer of the
credit, the credit card company, such as
American Express or Visa, a department
store, or a bank. We also recommend
contacting someone who works in the
"LOSS PREVENTION" department for the
company, instead of someone in their
customer service department.
When your American Express, Visa, or any
other card is used to purchase
merchandise, you should also contact the
store where the card was used. Again,
contact someone who works in "LOSS
PREVENTION" for the store and not
someone in customer service.
Contact all three (3) of the credit
reporting companies and report the
incident to each of them. (Please refer
to phone numbers provided below)
Q: How do I contact the credit
bureaus or the check verification
companies?
A: Credit Bureaus:
Trans Union Fraud Victim Assistance
800-680-7289
TRW/Experian Consumer Fraud Assistance
800-301-7195
Equifax Consumer Fraud Unit 800-525-6285
B: Check Verification Companies:
Telecheck 800-366-2425
National Processing Co. 800-526-5380
*** Make ALL your notifications by
telephone, and in writing.
Q: How can I reduce my risk of
becoming a victim of fraud?
You can reduce the risk of becoming
a victim of fraud by following the
advice below:
Don't use your birth date or mother's
maiden name as a password for your
accounts.
Avoid writing your account numbers on
your checks when paying your credit card
bills. If a criminal steals your monthly
bank statement, these canceled checks
will give the criminal all the
information he or she needs to commit
fraud.
Protect your Social Security number. Be
careful to whom you give it. Do NOT put
it or your drivers license number on
your checks.
Shred your credit card receipts and bank
statements before throwing away in the
trash.
Request credit reports from each of the
credit bureaus, checking for
discrepancies, on a regular basis.
Q: My drivers license was stolen and
someone is using my number. What do I
do?
A: If your drivers license number is
compromised you must contact the Texas
Department of Public Safety. Their phone
number varies depending on where you
live. You can find their phone number in
the BLUE pages of the telephone book
under "State Government". You should
call the office nearest your residence.
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