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Forgery and Fraud I

 



CONSUMER ALERT!



If You Have Been A Victim of Internet Fraud


The report should be filed in the jurisdiction where the money was received (the suspect’s location). You will need to know dates, addresses, and amounts involved. They will give you a case number at the time you file the report.

If the Suspect resides in Minneapolis, or the money or product was sent here, file a police report for theft-by-swindle (THFTSW) or credit card fraud (CCATM). Call Mpls 311 or go to your respective precinct to make your report (reports may not be made by phone to your precinct). If you are unsure which precinct you are in, you may enter your address and look it up here: Police Precinct Finder. Persons calling from within Minneapolis may call 311. Persons calling from outside the city may call 612-673-3000 . 311 Customer Service Agents are available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

If the Suspect resides in Minneapolis, or the money or product was sent here, put together copies of any paperwork you may have relating to the transactions, i.e., copies of correspondence, the initial listing, etc. This should include a copy of your account statement showing that the money was paid out, especially of the check/money order issued/cashed for payment. We will need copies of both sides. Recover the original from the bank or money order company if you can.

If the Suspect resides in Minneapolis, or the money or product was sent here, mail copies of any documentation, along with a detailed written summary by you of the sequence of events and reference the case number on this correspondence. Send to Minneapolis Police Dept, Forgery Fraud Unit, 350 S. 5th St., Room 108, Minneapolis, MN 55415.

If you sent payment by mail, you should contact the US Postal Inspector's Office in your area and file a complaint for mail fraud.

If your transaction was being conducted with a business rather than an individual, you should also notify your Minnesota Attorney General's Office and file a consumer fraud complaint.

You should also file a complaint with the FBI/NW3C through their Internet Crime Complaint Center (ICCC) on their website

If you are aware of other victims, pass this information on to them and encourage them to file reports as well.

There are some limitations of local law enforcement prosecution of Internet fraud of which you should be aware.


Due to the volume of cases handled by most local prosecutors offices, many of them are reluctant to prosecute cases where either the victim or suspect resides, or part of the transaction occurred in another jurisdiction.

Many incomplete business transactions are determined by prosecutors to fall into the realm of civil tort (non-performance on a contract) rather than criminal fraud.

In many cases, the suspect may be operating out of a mail-drop or using an assumed name. No one ever meets face-to-face, so proving identity can be an issue.

According to our last information on e-commerce, up to 20% of all Internet transactions on any given day are fraudulent on either the buyer's or seller's end. It is a "buyer beware" environment. When trading with someone unknown to you (either a business or an individual), it is often safer to deal through a third party broker that can complete the transaction fairly.

An investigation will usually be initiated if we get multiple reports on the same individual and losses can be aggregated to at least $4,000.


Additional resources on internet fraud:

Minneapolis Police Department: Beware When Purchasing Over the Internet


If your Social Security Card was Lost or Stolen:


Report the loss or theft to the Minneapolis Police Department. Call Mpls 311 and make a report or go to your respective precinct to make your report (reports may not be made by phone to your precinct). If you are unsure which precinct you are in, you may enter your address and look it up here: Police Precinct Finder. Persons calling from within Minneapolis may call 311. Persons calling from outside the city may call 612-673-3000 . 311 Customer Service Agents are available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.


Then call the Social Security Administration Fraud Hotline to notify them of the loss and get information on how to get a duplicate card. Also, notify the credit reporting bureaus listed above. Request a copy of a credit report a month or two after the theft to make sure no fraudulent accounts are being opened.


S.S.A. Fraud Hotline , 1 - 800 - 269 – 0271 www.ssa.gov


If Your Driver’s License Was Lost or Stolen:


Report the loss or theft to the Minneapolis Police Department. Call Mpls 311 and make a report or go to your respective precinct to make your report (reports may not be made by phone to your precinct). If you are unsure which precinct you are in, you may enter your address and look it up here: Police Precinct Finder. Persons calling from within Minneapolis may call 311. Persons calling from outside the city may call 612-673-3000 . 311 Customer Service Agents are available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Apply for a new driver’s license as soon as possible. Ask them to “flag” your driver’s license as stolen to help prevent identity theft. Use the link below, print and complete the form and mail back to DVS. Also, notify the credit reporting bureaus and request a credit report after one month.


State of MN, Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services: (click on “Driver Info”, then on “Identity Theft”)


Links for additional information:

Hennepin County: What to do if you’re traveling out of state and you lose your passport or driver’s license/ID

If Your Passport Was Lost or Stolen:


Report the loss or theft to the Minneapolis Police Department. Call Mpls 311 and make a report or go to your respective precinct to make your report (reports may not be made by phone to your precinct). If you are unsure which precinct you are in, you may enter your address and look it up here: Police Precinct Finder. Persons calling from within Minneapolis may call 311. Persons calling from outside the city may call 612-673-3000 . 311 Customer Service Agents are available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Notify the U.S. State Department of the loss.


Links for additional information:

Hennepin County: What to do if you’re traveling out of the country and you lose your passport or driver’s license/ID

If New Checks Or Cards Have Been Mailed To A Different Address:

Call the U.S. Postal Inspectors about mail being falsely forwarded, and notify the credit reporting bureaus.

U.S.P.S. Inspection Service 1 - 800 - 372 - 8347

Local Postal Inspector (612) 349-0301 Fax: (612) 349-4951

If Your Keys Were Taken:



Change or re-key whichever locks need to be changed for your protection.


Other Resources for advice and information on Forgery Fraud:

Federal Bureau of Investigation – Common Fraud Scams
National White Collar Crime Center (NWCCC)
Minnesota Attorney General: Beware of Phishing—Protect your Computer
Minnesota Attorney General Publications
U.S. Government Official Website


OTHER PHONE RESOURCES FOR ADVICE AND INFORMATION

Federal Citizen Information Center, 1-800-688-9889


What you can do to protect yourself and your family from being victimized again.

Don’t put your driver's license number or SSN number on your checks. This makes it easy to get a false ID made.

Don't carry your social security card or birth certificate copy in your wallet or purse. Do not provide your social security number to any business that does not have a legitimate need (for tax withholding/reporting purposes).

Keep all credit card receipts safe. Many criminals use numbers off receipts to defraud.

Safeguard your PIN numbers for all cards/accounts. Do not write them on or keep them with the cards.

Always shred credit card offers you get in the mail. Thieves steal mail and trash to get these.

NEVER give your card number number or checking account number to someone calling you. Make charges only when you call and initiate a transaction/purchase, and remember, card fraud investigators will never call and ask for your number and expiration date.

Never leave outgoing mail for your letter carrier to pick up. Always deposit all mail at a USPS facility or secure mailbox. Try to ensure that your mail is delivered into a locked or secure mailbox/receptacle.

Never respond to emails or phone calls that ask you to provide or confirm account numbers or PINs, Social Security Numbers or any other unique identifiers, no matter what the purported source of the email or phone call might be (many fraudulent e-mail inquiries use corporate logos and appear genuine – this is called “phishing”).

Never participate in any transaction that requires you to deposit a check and then forward some or all of the money to a third party, especially if you have advertised something for sale or rent on the internet, or if you receive a letter advising that you have won a lottery prize.

Never cash a check for someone who claims they don’t have ID or a bank account of their own.


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