String of Identity Theft Cases Hits the Five Towns

Detectives cautioned Five Towns residents to be extremely careful in the wake of a spate of identity theft and fraud cases that have hit the area in recent weeks.

Ten cases of identity theft and fraud were reported in the Five Towns over the past two weeks, with the majority of the victims living in Woodmere. Many of the cases involved scam artists opening up accounts in their victims’ names and charging purchases to their accounts.

“You have to be vigilant,” said one Fourth Squad detective. “You have to watch your credit report. You have to watch your bank account.”

The detective, who did not want to be identified, said identity theft has been occurring on a daily basis and anyone could become a victim. He should know — he was one.

“I was a victim of it just recently,” the detective said. “Last month it happened to me. Someone was using my credit card in another state and I was never even in that state. I still don’t know who did it and I probably will never find out.”

In the Five Towns, three of the most recent incidents occurred between April 14 and 25. The latest occurred when a resident of resident of Rochester Avenue in East Atlantic Beach reported to police that multiple department store credit cards were opened fraudulently in their name.

An earlier incident occurred on April 12, when a Stanton Avenue in Woodmere resident told police they had received a call stating that the resident had won a large sum of money and that a credit card was needed to be charged a minimal fee for the victim to collect the winnings. After providing the caller with the credit card information, the victim noticed several unauthorized transactions on that card, police reported.

Detective Sgt. Ronald Nesbitt of the Fourth Squad said investigators are not looking at the recent string of crimes as a pattern.

“These are catch-as-catch-can,” Nesbitt said. “It’s a turkey shoot. There’s no rhyme or reason to them. They are all the same in that the victims suffer some type of loss.

“We have more than our fair share,” Nesbitt added. “There are organized rings out there that do it for a living. People have access to all types of information. You just have to make sure you don’t have your personal information out there that someone is willing to try to compromise, such as date of birth, which would facilitate that type of crime.”

Identity theft crimes have become pretty constant over the past few years, and these types of criminals are hard to catch, Nesbitt said.

“It takes a lot of leg work and you have to catch a break,” the sergeant said. “People should be vigilant, which would make it easier for us to get a handle on identity theft.”

Police said identity theft is so prevalent because more people are desperate for money in a weakened economy and advanced technology has made it easier for criminals to get access to personal information.

“Anytime you give your credit card to someone, like a waiter in a restaurant, and it’s out of sight, be aware that they could take your card and write your number down,” the detective said. “You should keep it in your sight at all times.

“We get identity theft cases all the time,” he added. “We get at least one a day. It happens in every precinct and everywhere. It’s easy to do, to get people’s information. Everybody’s information is around. It’s just a matter of looking for it."

Under federal law, if the cardholder’s account number is stolen, the cardholder is not responsible for any fraudulent charges.

 “Be vigilant with your credit card,” the Fourth Squad detective said. “Frequently check your statements and if you see an unauthorized transaction, contact the credit card company right away.”