Where Do I File A Police Report When Identity Theft Occurred In Another State?
Many victims of identity theft have their information used in another state. When this happens it may be necessary to file a report in the state where the crime occurred. It can happen in multiple states if your information gets stolen. You cannot just file in your home state.
Contact the police in the state where it occurred, there are things you can do over the phone. But it’s really a tough situation, because the police really don’t put a high priority on investigating such things. Your best bet is to deal with the bank/credit card company that was used. Put the pressure on them by inquiring how someone was able to get access to your account information so easily and let them know that you just might not deal with them anymore if they aren’t proactive about researching it. They can check ATM video footage, they can pinpoint when a new card might have been sent out - and where it was sent. All valuable clues.
Because identity theft laws vary by state filing a report depends on the state. You should call the local D.A (prosecutors office) where the crime occurred, they might have special units designed to investigate identity theft. Also many State Attorney Generals handle these complaints.
Jurisdiction usually attaches either where the crime occurs or the harm occurs. So a person whose number is stole in MO can have jurisdiction if the credit card is used in CA. But your local D.A. will know.
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:08 am
Thanks for the post. I’ve been reading a lot of tips and advices on how to prevent identity theft from happening to us but I hardly read articles or blogs on how to deal and what to do when identity theft happens to you. So if the crime happened outside the country, the same principles are used? Figures. Thanks again! It was a huge help.