Crime Victim Complain Form: Identity Theft Centerville

Crime Victim Complain Form: Identity Theft

Centerville Police Department

101 Centerville Street

Centerville, Kansas, 05699

Tel [HIDDEN]

Date Complaint Filed: July 5, 2011

Victim Information:

Crime Victim Complaint Form: Identity Theft

Sally Gertrude Frederick

123 12th Avenue, Centerville, KS 05699

Tel [HIDDEN]

DOB: 01/24/1962

SSN: 466-55-1254

Drivers Lic.: Kansas, 18955243

Length of Residence at Current Address: 3 days

Victim's Previous Home Addresses for Past 5 Years:

435 14th Street, Apt. 233, Centerville, KS 05699

How long at this address: 7-1/2 years

Victim Information at Time of Fraud:

435 14th Street, Apt. 233, Centerville, KS 05699

Tel [HIDDEN]

SSN: 466-55-1254

Drivers Lic.: Kansas, 18955243

Email:

Declaration:

The victim declares that she has never authorized anyone to use her personal information to obtain money, credit, loans, goods, services, or for any other purpose, nor has she received any of the same as a result of the events described here. Ms. Frederick also agrees to provide any assistance the police may require to investigate and prosecute any individual(s) suspected of committing this crime.

Victim Statement:

Ms. Frederick discovered that someone had established phone service using her name and other identification information. The address given by the phone company was recognized by the victim as a former address where she worked as a baby sitter from May through November 2010. She obtained this position through the company, Sitters Okay, LLC, located at 2334 Airport Drive, Centerville, KS, 05690, Tel [HIDDEN] Ms. Frederick states that she has worked for this corporation for 12 years and this is the first time she has had any problems. In addition, she has a number of positive references that she can produce.

Ms. Frederick further states that it seems unlikely that the parents (Veronica and Wilbur Bertrand) of the two minors she baby sat (ages 8 and 11 at the time) could have gained access to her information, because as soon as she arrived they would be on their way out the door. The same quick exchange would occur when they returned, so that it would have been almost impossible for them to have had access to her purse without her noticing. The relevant personal information was being kept in her purse and at home. Ms. Frederick claims to have no knowledge of a break-in at her former address. Sitters Okay, LLC, as a matter of policy, does not provide the personal information of sitters to customers. Instead they run the requisite background checks themselves and maintain this information within their computer database. In addition, Ms. Frederick does not recall Sitters Okay, LLC declaring a breach of personal information over the past two years, as would be required under Kansas law (Romanosky, Telang, and Acquisti, 2011). The persons most likely to have gained unauthorized access to Ms. Frederick's purse, and therefore personal information, are the two minors she was babysitting.

Investigative Strategy:

The first step would be to run a criminal background check on Ms. Frederick and to confirm her identity using various forms of identification, including birth certificate, passport, social security card, and driver's license. If Ms. Frederick's identity is confirmed then the next step would be to confirm that Sitters Okay, LLC has not had a known breach of personal information. The phone records for the account in question will also be obtained so as to determine the nature of the calls being made and to whom, and the method of payment, if any, on the account when it was first opened. In the absence of additional information pointing in a different direction, the most likely suspects would be the Bertrand minors. If the investigation leads to their door, criminal background check on the parents will be performed.

Should the investigation lead to the Bertrand minors and they confess to opening a telephone account using Ms. Frederick's name and personal information, they could theoretically claim that Ms. Frederick gave them permission. How to proceed will depend on whether the Bertrand parents challenge or support the minors' claims.