It’s tax season and that means we tend to receive an increase in complaints of identity theft, tax fraud, and reports of various types of scams. The Menomonee Falls Police Department is committed to helping our community be proactive and safeguard their identities and financial accounts to avoid becoming the victim of financial crimes.
Identity Theft occurs when a perpetrator obtains your personal information and makes fraudulent purchases using your financial accounts. The perpetrators may obtain your Social Security or Medicare number, your credit or debit card number, your medical insurance information, your driver's license number, or your name and date of birth. When this occurs, you may start to receive bills for things or services you didn’t purchase, you may notice unauthorized withdrawals from your bank account, or you check your credit report and discover accounts you never knew you had.
Report fraudulent activity to the Menomonee Falls Police Department. Be sure to retain financial statements and any correspondence that you receive to help us investigate your complaint. You will be provided with an Identity Theft Packet to complete, notarize, and return to the investigating officer. You should also report your identity theft or fraudulent activity to Identitytheft.gov and ReportFraud.ftc.gov, where you can sign up to create a recovery plan and access resources specific to certain scams and fraudulent activities.
You should also close any new or unauthorized accounts in your name, review your credit reports often, and consider adding an extended fraud alert or credit freeze with each of the three credit bureaus (www.annualcreditreport.com).
As always, it’s important to remain vigilant in protecting your identity and finances. If you are unsure about a suspicious phone call, text message, letter, or email that is asking for your identification information or financial information, you can contact the Menomonee Falls Police Department to speak with an officer and potentially avoid becoming a financial crime victim.