Identity theft: A growing concern in the Tri-Cities
RICHLAND - Multiple identities stolen and thousands of dollars lost, all because of one group of identity thieves in Richland. Those thieves are now behind bars, but identity theft is a growing issue in the Tri-Cities.
'This was kind of a multifaceted laundering, essentially so it was personal accounts as well as business accounts so they were going after the whole thing,” said Captain Mike Cobb of the Richland Police Department.
Police told KEPR there were two main way these guys were able to take identities. One of which was from car prowls breaking into your car taking whatever information you have there about yourself. The other way was by going through the mail.
KEPR wanted to know if anyone is safe in a crime like this?
“Safety is kind of a relative thing,” said Captain Cobb. “The things you can do to ensure your safety are make sure your documents are shredded, bank accounts, checks all of the things with any transaction info at all need to be shredded, and then monitor your accounts quite closely.”
The Feds have taken over the investigation since so many identities were involved, but it's not the end of identity theft here in the Tri-Cities.
“This is a growing problem, ID theft is nation wide,” added Cobb. “In the Tri-Cities it's no different, we're going to grow, but not growing quicker than the national average.”
Richland police has a list of ways to protect yourself.The main ones include:
• To be aware of online purchases
• To make sure your bank covers fraudulent charges
• To never give personal information away
In the world-wide battle of identity theft, being overly-cautious is about all you can do.
Click here for links to resources on identity theft by the Richland Police Department.
