42Q - Identity Theft 2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Policy & Procedure Page 1 of 7 Lexington Police Department Subject: Identity Theft Policy Number: 42Q Accreditation Standards: Reference: 42.2.8 Effective Date: 1/1/12  New  Revised Revision Dates: 1/24/19 By Order of: Mark J. Corr, Chief of Police The Municipal Police Institute, Inc. (MPI) is a private, nonprofit charitable affiliate of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. MPI provides training and model policies and procedures for police agencies. This policy is an edited version of MPI Policy 2.16 “Identity Theft.” GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS AND GUIDELINES Identity theft is the unlawful use of another person’s personal information, such as name, date of birth, credit card numbers, Social Security, or driver’s license numbers, for the purpose of committing fraud or some other form of deception. It is one of the fastest growing forms of criminal conduct in the United States. Although the unauthorized use of another person’s identity is in itself a crime under federal and state law, it is almost always a means of committing other crimes, such as bank fraud, check fraud, credit card fraud, internet fraud, the fraudulent obtaining of loans, goods or services and the avoidance of criminal prosecution. Compromising a person’s identity may result from picking through trash, skimming of a credit card, obtaining information via the Internet, or some other technique that may not be detected by the victim. In other cases, the theft of an identity may begin when a wallet or purse is stolen, or mail intercepted. Early detection of identity theft can minimize financial loss and the extent of damage done to a victim’s credit history. The term “victim” in this policy refers to a person whose identity has been compromised, yet financial institutions, retail merchants and mail order companies often suffer significant financial losses as well.