Take the Report, Start the Investigation
The victim may or may not know the extent of the crime, or even if identity crime is a factor. Law enforcement agencies may or may not have the resources to start an investigation of these crimes. The goal of the initial victim interview in identity theft complaints is the same as in all criminal investigations – to verify that a crime has been committed and render immediate assistance to the victim, if needed. Secondarily, the interview will help the investigator to find out the facts known to the victim and witnesses that will identify and locate a suspect for arrest and prosecution.
At the initial interview or phone report, the victim will probably have very little factual information to support the complaint, but his/her thoughts and suspicions should be considered as part of the fact gathering. For example, the victim may use his/her credit or debit card five times a day to purchase gas, daily morning coffee and lunch, but a “funny feeling” about a clerk at a merchant he/she visited once in the last three months may be worth listening to. Later in the recovery process, the victim should have substantially more information.
In some jurisdictions, taking a report triggers an investigation. In others, a determination on how to proceed will be made based on the information in the report. In either case, it is important that departments of all sizes have the information necessary to initiate and complete an investigation when it is appropriate.
Law enforcement may want to begin by explaining the steps that they and the victim each take to help with the recovery and the investigation: