The Police Report

Why is it so important?

A police report establishes that the victim did not authorize the use of their information and offers victims an opportunity to block all identified fraudulent accounts on their credit reports. Quite often a police report is required by defrauded companies or credit card issuers in order to initiate their own investigations. Victims of identity theft will often be hesitant to file a report. Please remind them that this is a tool that not only helps the community fight against identity theft, but could also come in handy in the victim’s own fight to restore their credit and good name.

Report Content Checklist

NOTE: The International Association of Police Chiefs, the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspectors endorse the position that victims should file reports where they reside.

Provide a brief summary of the crime.

Obtain all identifying information of the victim.

Document the nature of the fraud or other crime committed in the victim's name.

Determine what identifying information was used to commit the fraud.

Determine the last time that identifying information was disclosed.

FACT Act requires local law enforcement agencies to provide a police report to victims of ID theft.