Identity theft on the rise in Colorado Springs
Compared to last year, counterfeiting and forgery has jumped by 55.9 percent, impersonation rose 30.17 percent, false pretense and swindling is up 30.1 percent, and credit card fraud has grown by 23.67 percent. Local identity theft victim Jerry Eller says someone hijacked his identity by taking his social security number. "Its destroyed my whole financial future, I've lost employment, I've been denied credit," says Eller. Colorado Springs Police say the increases are likely tied to methamphetamine use. "They are using [identity theft] to buy meth and the materials to produce and distribute meth," explains Lt. Rafeal Cintron. To protect yourself against identity theft, Lt. Cintron says to keep of your credit history and keep your personal information private. He recommends not giving personal information over the phone and not throwing away papers with that information on it. The explosion in identity theft cases has led the Colorado Springs Police Department to consider dedicating an entire unit to deal with the problem. They say if they can gather the resources, that unit will be in place sometime next year. In the meantime, the battle continues for Jerry Eller. He is now waiting to file a police report in what he hopes is the first step in getting his life back. From: http://www.koaa.com/news/view.asp?ID=2707 |