Houston Police Department
Criminal Investigations Command
Financial Crimes Unit
713-308-2500
The information contained on this page
is intended to assist the citizens of Houston and is provided
as a service of the Houston Police Department.
The Financial Crimes Unit investigates
the following offenses:
Forgery
Credit/Debit Card Abuse
Identity Theft
Mail Theft (we refer these offenses to the U. S. Postal
Inspector)
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM BECOMING
AN IDENTITY THEFT VICTIM
Identity Theft is quickly becoming the
crime of choice for criminals. It is imperative that you
take the proper precautions to minimize the risk of becoming
a victim. If you have already been victimized, however,
HPD recommends that you visit the Federal Trade Commission’s
web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft and print the publication titled “ID THEFT, When bad
Things Happen to Your Good Name.” The publication
contains information useful to begin to resolve the issues
that are facing you.
Although you can not protect yourself entirely
from ever becoming a victim of identity theft, there are
steps you can take to minimize your chances of being targeted.
HOW IDENTITY THIEVES GET YOUR PERSONAL
INFORMATION
Stealing wallets and purses containing
your identification and credit and bankcards.
Stealing mail to get new credit cards,
bank or credit card statements, new checks, tax information,
and pre-approved credit offers.
Completing a “change of address”
form to divert your mail to another location.
Rummaging through your trash or the
trash of a business looking for individual’s personal
data in a practice known as “dumpster diving.”
Obtaining your credit report by posing
as a landlord, employer, or someone else who may have
a legitimate need for, and legal right to, the information.
Stealing personal information from your
home or from businesses or institutions where you are
a customer, patient, employee, etc.
Obtaining personal information that
you share with others over the Internet.
Scamming you, either by U. S. Mail or
e-mail, by posing as legitimate companies or government
agencies you do business with. This usually happens after
someone gets your information from businesses by stealing
files out of offices where you are a customer, employee,
patient or student. Sometimes an employee of these businesses
is bribed or files are hacked into via the Internet.
Copying data from credit and debit cards
as the card is being used for a legitimate transaction
using a device called a skimmer.
Setting up look-alike web sites for
legitimate businesses that you transact with and tricking
you into sending personal information by sending e-mails
warning that your accounts have been compromised or are
about to expire and instructing you to click on a link.
Standing behind you as you enter your
PIN number or credit card number in a practice known as
shoulder surfing.
WHAT TO DO TO AVOID BECOMING A
VICTIM
Manage your personal information wisely
and avoid disclosure unless absolutely necessary. Remember
that your Social Security number is the key to obtaining
your credit report and other confidential information.
Disclose only when absolutely necessary.
Keep personal information in a secure
place at home. Shred all documents containing identifying
data.
Limit the number of credit and debit
cards in your purse or wallet. Never carry documents such
as social security cards or birth certificates with you.
Never disclose personal information
in response to a telephone call or an e-mail. Legitimate
business that you transact with are never likely to ask
for this information. If you are instructed to click on
a link contained in an e-mail asking for personal information,
visit the organization’s web site instead. Criminals
will sometime create authentic looking false web sites
for businesses you are already familiar with in order
to obtain your information.
Shield your hand when entering your
PIN number at bank ATMs or point of sale terminals. Always
take receipts with you and shred them.
Never have check orders delivered to
your home. Instead, pick them up at the bank yourself.
In addition, never print your driver license or social
security number on your checks or allow anyone to write
this information on your checks.
Order a copy of your credit report from
one of the three major credit reporting agencies every
3 months. Check each report carefully for signs of unusual
activity. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires
each one of these agencies to provide you with a free
copy of your credit report once every 12 months. Call
toll free 877-322-8228 or visit www.annualcreditreport.com.
Always place payments in a postal service
box or arrange for them to be paid via the Internet. Never
place outgoing payments in the mailbox in front of your
home.
WARNING SIGNS THAT YOU MAY HAVE
BECOME A VICTIM
Monthly credit card or bank statements
stop arriving. Criminals will usually call your card issuer
or financial institution and, pretending to be you, file
a change of address request. The impostor then runs up
charges on your account and, because the statements are
being sent to the new address, it may take some time before
you realize that there is a problem.
You start getting bills from companies
that you don’t recognize or a creditor calls to
inform you that you have been approved for or denied credit
that you have not applied for. Criminals will open up
new accounts using your name, date of birth, and social
security number. Since they don’t pay the bills,
the delinquent accounts are reported on your credit report.
Sometimes your information is also used to establish utility
service, phone or wireless service for various addresses.
You receive calls or letters from collection
agencies, creditors, or companies claiming that you have
written checks with insufficient funds. Criminals will
open a bank account in your name or print bogus checks
using your information. Sometimes they will drain your
bank account after copying your bank’s routing and
account numbers off one of your checks or by cloning your
debit card.
There are unusual entries in you credit
reports. Criminals will sometimes buy cars and even sign
mortgages using your personal information. Persons –
sometimes undocumented aliens - have been known to completely
assume another’s identity and file for bankruptcy
and even give it to the police when they are arrested.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE BECOME A
VICTIM
Report the crime by calling the Houston
Police Department at 713-884-3131 if the illegal activity
occurred in the City of Houston. Filing a report is the
first step in what may be a lengthy and frustrating process
to repair your credit and reclaim your identity. Please
note that any damage to your credit can only be corrected
with your participation and cooperation. By completing the
following steps, you will help resolve problems with creditors
and merchants, remove inaccurate information from your files
at the major credit reporting agencies, and help prevent
future fraudulent use of your credit and identity. You should
retain copies of all correspondence and documentation related
to your case.
The Financial Crimes Unit of the Houston
Police Department will review your report and, if assigned
for follow-up, an investigator will contact you with additional
information. Please note that due to the volume of reports
received, jurisdictional issues such as where some of the
illegal acts occurred, availability of solvability factors,
and limitations on available resources, not all reports
of this type of criminal activity are assigned to an investigator
for follow-up. There are, however, several steps that you
can take to minimize the impact that this crime will have
on your personal affairs.
New information about your case or new
fraudulent transactions should be reported under your original
incident number to one of the following:
The Teleserve Unit (713-884-3131)
if your original report was filed with our Teleserve Unit
The Financial Crimes Unit (713-308-2500)
if a patrol officer filed your original report.
You may obtain a copy of your incident
report by contacting the Records Division at 713-308-8585,
by appearing in person at 1200 Travis, 23rd floor, or by
requesting one by mail. Please call the Records Division
in advance to confirm that your report is available and
to receive a quote on the cost of your report. The cost
of a report is 10 cents per page. If you would like the
report mailed, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope
with your request. Your report should arrive about two weeks
from the time your request is processed. Please note that
you may be provided with only the public release portion
of the report which, in most cases, consists of only one
page.
STEP I: Notify Credit Agencies.
Contact the following credit reporting companies:
Explain to each agency that you have been
a victim of fraud and give them your HPD incident number.
Ask each agency to place a “victim
of fraud” statement into your credit file.
Ask each agency to send you a copy
of your credit report.
1. Upon receipt, examine each report carefully for unauthorized
accounts and inquiries.
2. Ask each agency for the names and addresses of creditors
reporting the unauthorized accounts and inquiries.
3. Trans Union, Equifax, and Experian will now temporarily
remove disputed charges from your credit history when
you provide them with a copy of your police report detailing
the fraudulent charges. This allows you to obtain credit
while your case is being investigated.
STEP II: Notify merchants and creditors.
Contact each merchant and creditor who accepted the fraudulent
charge or opened the fraudulent account.
Advise the merchant or creditor that
the account was opened or the charge was made without
your permission.
Ask the merchant or creditor to explain
their process for resolving fraudulent transactions.
The merchant or creditor should provide
you with an affidavit to complete and return to them.
Many merchants and creditors accept the “Affidavit
of Fraud” form found online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
Please do not send affidavits to the Financial Crimes
Unit. Your original police report is sufficient.
Maintain contact with all merchants
and creditors until their investigations are completed.
Ask merchants or creditors to instruct the credit-reporting
agency to remove all information related to a fraudulent
transaction from your file.
STEP III: Review your credit report.
Allow 30 days after completion of a merchant or creditor’s
investigation for the credit-reporting agency to send you
an amended credit report. If you have not received an amended
report after 30 days, request one from each credit reporting
agency that listed the fraudulent transaction or inquiry
in your credit file. Upon receipt, ensure that the fraudulent
transaction or inquiry has been removed from your report.
STEP IV: Contact the Federal Trade
Commission.
The Federal Trade Commission compiles a nationwide database
of victims of identity theft and of addresses where fraudulent
credit cards and mail orders are sent. This allows law enforcement
agencies around the country to contact you in case there
are other charges or credit cards going to that same address.
The FTC’s toll-free number is 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338).
Their web site is www.consumer.gov/idtheft
IF YOU HAVE BEEN THE VICTIM OF
CHECK FRAUD:
STEP I: Notify your bank.
Advise your financial institution that you have been a victim
of fraud, and give them your HPD incident number.
STEP II: Send checks to your bank.
Return all forged and unauthorized checks to your bank or
other financial institution, along with a notarized “Affidavit
of Fraud” form provided by the bank or found online
at www.consumer.gov/idtheft The Financial Crimes Unit does not need a copy of the affidavit.
STEP III: Notify the check-processing
companies.
The listed check companies require copies of the police
report; a notarized affidavit of forgery filed with your
financial institution; and a copy of your driver license.
Advise the agencies you are a victim of check fraud:
Consumer Debit Resource only receives
reports from financial institutions. You may contact Consumer
Debit Resource to obtain additional information if someone
has opened a checking account in your name or used your
social security number to open an account. You may also
order your personal consumer report from their web site.
STEP IV: Inform merchants.
Contact the merchant if your bank notifies you regarding
a forged check; or if the merchant who accepted your forged
check contacts you:
Advise the merchant that you have been
the victim of check fraud.
Provide the merchant with your HPD incident
number.
Complete a notarized “Affidavit
of Fraud” form provided by the merchant or found
online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft and return the form
to the merchant. The Financial Crimes Unit does not need
a copy of the affidavit.
Request that each merchant file a police
report with the local police department.
Other resources that you may find useful
or informative include the following:
Postal Inspector 877-876-2455
Social Security Fraud Hotline 1-800-269-0271
The Harris County District Attorney’s
Office estimates that the investigation and prosecution
of many forgery, identity theft, and related cases can take
up to one year to complete. Many cases have insufficient
evidence to permit a complete investigation, and many others
are resolved to the satisfaction of the victim without criminal
prosecution. You may, therefore, wish to explore civil remedies
by consulting with an attorney. Bear in mind, however, that
criminal charges will not be pursued solely to gain advantage
in a civil matter.
We hope that you will find this information helpful as you work your way through this difficult situation. Please visit the Houston Police Department’s web site at www.houstontx.gov/police and click on the “Crime Prevention” link for additional information regarding Financial Crimes.
