It started with one report of identity theft a couple weeks ago. Now more than a dozen reports from one Forest Lake neighborhood have come in.
Credit cards have been opened fraudulently in residents’ names, and the suspected monetary loss so far is about $100,000, said Forest Lake police Capt. Greg Weiss.
http://liarcatchers.com/identity_theft_investigation.html
Police put out an emergency Code Red alert this month — an electronic alert sent to targeted households — calling on people to check their credit reports and attend a community meeting.
“When this hit, people started talking to each other, because they’re neighbors,” Weiss said. “The meeting is in order to curb rumors and inform people of what’s being done. It’s preventative and educational.”
The meeting is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, at the Hardwood Creek branch library at 19955 Forest Road N.
Residents who can’t attend are urged to check their credit reports and call police if anything is amiss, Weiss said.
Weiss said being proactive is crucial — both to reduce the amount of ID theft and the workload for investigators.
Electronic fraud and identity theft have become so prevalent that they are now the department’s top crime, Weiss said.
For victims, the effects of ID theft are long-lasting.
“When you go to the bank and you’re declined for an auto loan, it’s already too late,” Weiss said.
It can take months or years to erase the negative impact and to repair credit.
So far, the recent rash of ID theft has been limited to
residents in the area of the 20000 block of Everton Avenue North, Weiss said. About 14 reports have come in, with reported fraud of a couple of thousand dollars up to $20,000 in their names.
Two detectives are working full time on the case and have enlisted the help of the FBI, Weiss said.
For more information, residents can contact Detective Ashley LaValle at 651-209-9919 or 432@flpd.com.
