Crystal Lake Police Warns Residents on Rise of Identity Theft

Crystal Lake Police Department recently posted on their Facebook page and wrote in the Crystal Lake Sept. 2016 City Newsletter warning residents about the rise of identity theft.

The article posted on the Crystal Lake Police Department Facebook page reported on a Freeport woman who lost $2,000 after she was told she owed money to the IRS. The scammer used spoofing technology so when they called, "Freeport Police" appeared on the victim's caller ID.

In the newsletter, Crystal Lake Police said identity theft is on the rise with con artists developing new methods to defraud victims.

Crystal Lake Police offered helpful tips for residents to protect themselves:

• The IRS will not call and threaten to arrest you for failure to immediately pay a tax levy.
• Write down the phone number the call came from and type in the number on the internet for inquiry. Usually, Internet searches will display various complaints associated with that phone number from people throughout the country.
• Do not make payments over the phone.
• Contact the Crystal Lake Police Department's nonemergency number if you received a suspicious call or believe you've been victimized.
• Visit the Federal Trade Commission's website for additional information at www.ftc.gov.

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