Midland Police Department

 

Midland Police Department   Law Enforcement Center 2727 Rodd St. Midland, MI 48640   Phone: 989-631-5716  Email: citypolice@midland-mi.org

 

Identity Theft

 

Video

 

To find a brief explanation on how to protect yourself from identity theft, click on YouTube video link.

 

If You’ve Had Your ID Stolen…

If you suspect you are a victim of identity theft, there are some important steps for you to follow. The following letter from the Midland Police Department will help explain the process for restoring your identity following an identity theft crime:

·         Instructions/Introduction from Detective Caryn Weiland

The following are links to forms that you may need in your efforts to combat identity theft. Once you have contacted the Midland Police Department to make an initial report of identity theft, the uniformed officer assigned to your case will indicate which of the forms below should be filled out. Please use only those forms suggested by the officer.

·         Identity Theft Victim Information Form

·         Affidavit of Fraud and Forgery

·         Authorization for Release of Information

 

Victim Resource Information

Below is more helpful information on how to combat identity theft.

·         Victim Assistance Information (contacts, phone numbers and website addresses)

·         ID Theft: What To Do If You're A Victim

·         Federal Trade Commission Website

Sample Letters

Victims of identity theft can use the sample letters below to notify specific agencies/authorities about the theft. Click on any of these links to open Microsoft Word documents that can be easily saved to your computer for filling in and printing out as needed. If you have questions on these forms, contact the Midland Police Department at 989-839-4708.

 

Identity Theft Additional Assistance Forms

 

The Midland Police Department has received additional forms from Michigan State University.  These forms can be used to enhance the forms already on the web page, or they can be used to replace those forms.  If you have any questions, please ask the officer who took your report, or call Midland’s Detective Bureau at 839-4708.

 

Please click on the following link to reach the Michigan State University Web Site.  The forms are available for downloading.  There are also additional victim resources located there to assist in your investigation.  

 

Deter, Detect, Defend

 

The Federal Trade Commission has recently begun a new program called, Deter, Detect, Defend.  It is a valuable program that will assist you in protecting yourself from identity theft, and also it will help assist you in the event you are a victim of identity theft. 

 

Deter:

1.   Shred financial documents and paperwork with person information before you discard them

2.   Protect your Social Security number.

3.   Don't give out personal information over the phone.

4.   Never click on links sent in unsolicited e-mails.

5.   Don't use obvious passwords like your birthday, mother's maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

6.   Keep your person information in a secure place.

 

Detect:

1.   Be alert for signs that require immediate attention.

A.     Bills that do not arrive as expected.

B.     Unexpected credit cards or account statements

C.    Denials of credit for no apparent reason.

D.    Calls or letters about purchases you did not make.

2.   Inspect

A.     Your credit report.

i.    Request your annual free credit report.

ii.    Visit http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ to order your FREE credit report. 

iii.   Review your financial statements.

 

Defend:

1.   As soon as you suspect Identity Theft…

A.     Place a "Fraud Alert" on your credit reports, and review the reports carefully

B.     Close any accounts that have been tampered with or established fraudulently.

C.    File a police report.

D.    Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission.

 

If you have additional questions, go online to http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ for more information. Or, call 989-839-4708 to reach the Midland Police Department Detective Bureau.