Just having charges applied to your credit cards may not constitute ID Theft. Persons may contact the Orange Village Police Department Detective Bureau at 440-287-5219 and discuss their situations.

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. Major businesses have reported the hijacking of sensitive internal customer files, which could be used to victimize millions of citizens throughout the country.

Because of the ever changing climate and the need to provide current information, we have provided the website link to the Ohio Attorney Generals page on ID Theft. It provides what steps to take, your legal rights, how to handle specific problems and what things to look out for in the future.

Citizens are encouraged to file a police report with the police agency that has jurisdiction where the crime occurred. If you are unable to file a report with the agency having jurisdiction contact your local police agency for a report. Even though your local agency may not be able to investigate the offense, at least a report will be on file documenting the identity theft. It is recommended you obtain a copy of the report and make multiple copies.

The link is http://www.ag.state.oh.us/victim/idtheft/index.asp

Other Helpful Links
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ (Federal Trade Commission)
www.bbb.com (Better Business Bureau)
www.fbi.gov (Federal Bureau of Investigations)
www.creditreport.com/identitytheft/statistics/Ohio-identity-theft.asp Credit Report.com