What is Identity Theft?
Identity Theft occurs when someone uses any part of another person’s identity (personally identifiable information-PII) for the purposes of financial or personal gain, to avoid a criminal or driving history, for employment or for any other reason. There are many forms of Identity Theft such as: Financial, Medical, Use of ID for Criminal Purposes, Employment,Tax Related, Business ID Theft, or as part of a Domestic Violence or Elder Abuse.
What is Fraud?
Fraud is the practice of deception intended to result in personal or financial gain, and is often referred to as a scam or swindle. This would include common scams such as: Government Impostors calling, Romance Scams, “Grandparent” Scams, Work-at-home Scams, Online Scams, Phishing Scams and Robo-Calls.
First Steps for Victims
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Stop all contact with the criminals
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If you have wired money to a scammer, please contact us immediately at ReportWireFraud.com An agent will be in contact with you as soon as possible.
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If you have given your bank account or other financial information to the criminals, contact your financial institution immediately to protect your accounts.
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Contact your local law enforcement agency (police or Sheriff) and file a report
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Contact the Victim Advocates at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for additional support and guidance
Some Options you might consider:
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Report to the Federal Trade Commission https://www.identitytheft.gov
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For Internet related crimes, report to the Internet Crimes Complaint Center https://www.ic3.gov
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If you are a victim of financial ID theft, obtain a copy of your credit report from Annual Credit Report https://www.annualcreditreport.com
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Consider a credit freeze or fraud alert (for more information check out our Prevention Tips)
SCAMS
Prevention Tips
By following a few simple tips you can reduce your risks of being a victim.