It Figures

8,200

At least 8,200 Ohioans complained of identity theft with the Federal Trade Commission in 2008, according to Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, but only about 40 percent of the victims filed a police report. Cordray says it’s important to file a police report because it will help victims prove they’ve suffered some form of identity theft. Police also can help victims apply for the Attorney General’s Identity Theft Verification Passport program. This program issues victims of identity theft a card with their photo and fingerprints to prove they are an identity theft victim. The victim first must file a police report to receive a Passport. In addition to police reports filed by victims, routine traffic stops sometimes help catch identity thieves, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol. In the last year and a half, there have been 267 identity crime arrests in Ohio, according to a report released by the patrol.