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Attorney General Mike DeWine
DeWine
Announces Three-Year Update on Identity Theft Unit
Nearly 3,500 Complaints Received; Over $1 Million Cleared
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced that
his office’s Identity Theft Unit received nearly 3,500 complaints and
helped identity theft victims clear over $1 million in fraudulent debt
during the unit’s first three years of existence, according to
complaint information.
“Identity theft continues to be a serious problem for many Ohioans,”
Attorney General DeWine said. “Victims can experience lower credit
scores, rejection for a loan or a job, or even an arrest for a crime
they did not commit. Our goal is to give people the direction and
assistance they need to resolve the negative effects of identity theft
and move on with their lives.”
In September 2012, Attorney General DeWine announced the creation of
the Identity Theft Unit, a division of the Consumer Protection Section.
The unit helps victims correct problems typically associated with
identity theft. At a victim’s request, a specialist will work with
creditors, collectors, credit reporting agencies, law enforcement, and
other organizations on the victim’s behalf.
A Trumbull County consumer reported a fraudulent $5,000 online loan
taken out in his name. The Identity Theft Unit worked with the online
lending company to clear the loan debt and with the credit reporting
agencies to ensure the entry was removed from the victim’s credit
report.
In another case, a Portage County consumer reported that an unknown
person had used his personal information to open online accounts and
make over $3,400 in fraudulent charges. The Identity Theft Unit worked
with the companies to close all of the accounts and resolve the
fraudulent charges.
Attorney General DeWine offers the following tips for avoiding and
detecting identity theft:
Check your credit report at
www.AnnualCreditReport.com. You are entitled to one free credit report
per year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. You
can pull all three at once, or you can stagger pulling your reports
throughout the year.
Monitor your bank accounts. Look for suspicious
activity, and if you find any errors, immediately notify your bank or
your credit or debit card provider. (The Fair Credit Billing Act allows
consumers to dispute credit card fraud within 60 days of receiving the
bill containing the disputed charge.)
Consider placing a security freeze on your credit
report. A security freeze essentially puts a lock on your credit so
that most third parties can’t access your report. This helps stop
imposters from opening credit in your name. Contact each credit
reporting agency to place a freeze.
If your personal information has been compromised in
a data breach, place an initial fraud alert on your credit report.
Contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies — Experian,
Equifax, or TransUnion — to place the alert, which will stay on your
credit report for 90 days. The alert is free and will make it more
difficult for someone to open credit in your name.
Consumers who believe they have been the victim of identity theft
should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at 800-282-0515 or
www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.
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