Identity Theft

Middlesex Township Police Department investigates cases dealing with the theft of one’s identity. The crime of Identity Theft is committed when someone, without permission, uses your identifying information. Identifying information can be lost or stolen. Your identifying information include your name and date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, bank account numbers, and credit cards and more, it is not just limited to physical cards and papers.

What to do if you are the victim of Identity Theft?

  •  Contact any one of the three credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on your credit reports. This will flag your credit reports and prevent further damage by the theft. The credit bureau that you call is required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their version of your report, too. Their contact information is as follows:  

EQUIFAX: 1-800-525-6285    www.equifax.com
EXPERIAN 1-888-397-3742    www.experian.com
TRANS UNION 1-800-680-7289 www.transunion.com

    -Close accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Follow up in writing, and include copies (NOT ORIGINALS) of supporting documentation. Send your letters by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you can document what the company received and when.

    -Report the crime to the Middlesex Township Police Department. Make sure to get a copy of the police report or at the very least the number of the report. It can help you deal with creditor who need proof of the crimes.

    -Report crime to the Federal Trade Commission. Sharing this information with the FTC, you will provide important information that can help law enforcement across to nation track down identity thieves and stop them. You can file a complaint on line at www.consumer.gov/idtheft  Or, call 1-877-438-4338; TTY: 1-866-653-4261; or write: Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580.