Identity Theft Incident Report Added to Mo. Attorney Gen. Website

First posted on 10-19-2007

Consumers who are victims or identity theft often face a frustrating and time-consuming process when trying to clear their name and repair their credit history. Attorney General Jay Nixon, whose office has a role in mediating consumer identity theft cases, is making it easier to expedite the process through a new feature on his Web site, the Identity Theft Incident Report.

The new form, which can be found at ago.mo.gov, is for law enforcement to fill out and submit to the Attorney General’s Office when a consumer files an identity theft complaint with them. The information on the form can then be used by the Attorney General’s Office when mediating an identity theft claim between a consumer and a business.

“When a victim attempts to have charges on a credit card that were run up by the identity thief removed by a business, the victim needs a police report and affidavit to substantiate the fact that they were indeed the victim of this crime,” Nixon said. “We hope that having this convenient form on our Web site for law enforcement to access and send to us will expedite the process.”

Nixon reminds consumers who believe they may have been victims of identity theft to call the Attorney General’s Identity Theft Hotline at (800)392-8222 to file their own report, or visit the Attorney General’s Website at ago.mo.gov to download a complaint form.

Nixon also offered these suggestions for preventing identity theft:

* Don’t give out your personal information unless absolutely necessary.
* Before discarding, shred any paperwork containing personal information like Social Security number or bank and credit card numbers.
* Use a secure drop box for sensitive outgoing mail, rather than your curbside mailbox.
* Check your bank and credit card statements and credit report for errors or unauthorized charges.

Identity Theft Incident Report: http://ago.mo.gov/forms/idtheftcomplaintform.pdf