U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
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U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation |
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| In Reply, Please Refer to Release No. |
219 South Dearborn Street Chicago, Illinois 60604 |
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February 6, 2003 Local Effort to Combat Identity Theft Launched Today Thomas J. Kneir, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), along with the heads of numerous other Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies, announced today the formation of the Chicago Metropolitan Identity Fraud Task Force (CMIFTF). Timed to coincide with National Consumer Protection Week, the CMIFTF will bring together the investigative resources of the Federal government and the expertise of local police departments in a effort to aggressively investigate and prosecute, both individuals and groups involved in the nation's fastest growing crime problem, identity theft. Also joining in this cooperative effort are some of the nation's largest credit issuers, both banks and retailers, who frequently bear the financial cost of this crime. Passed by Congress in 1998, the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act made it a felony to assume the identity of another person, in any form. The penalties for violation of this act are severe, with violators facing up to 20 years incarceration. Stolen identities are commonly used to commit a variety of other crimes, including bank fraud, wire fraud and mail fraud. "By forming a partnership with other law enforcement agencies and the nation's major credit issuers, we hope to provide the residents and consumers of Northern Illinois with a single point-of-contact for information about Identity Theft and to report suspected fraudulent activity" said Mr. Kneir. Law enforcement agencies who are partners in the (CMIFTF) include the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, Federal Trade Commission, Illinois Attorney General's Office, Illinois Secretary of State Police, the Financial Crimes unit of the Chicago Police Department, Lake County States Attorney's Office, Will County States Attorney's Office, Vernon Hills Police Department and the Oak Park Police Department. Corporate partners include American Express Company, American Hotel Registry, Citigroup and Diners Club, Cook County Crime Stoppers, Discover Financial Services Inc., Harris Bank, LaSalle National Bank, Marshall Field's, Nordstrom, the Northern Trust Bank, Sears Roebuck and Company and Target Stores. The CMIFTF will be housed in space donated by Marshall Field's in Chicago, with telephone number (312) 781-4545. Additional information about Identity Theft and National Consumer Protection Week can be found on-line at www.usps.gov/postalinspectors or www.consumer.gov. |
