Criminal Investigations Division

Financial Crimes

The Financial Crimes Unit is tasked with investigating those crimes that include forgery, fraud, identity theft, etc.

Georgia law provides a victim of identity theft with the option to file a police report with the jurisdiction in which the crime occurred or the jurisdiction in which they live. However, the prosecuting attorney’s council has reached an agreement that simply states the jurisdiction where the secondary offense (i.e. forgery, financial transaction card fraud) occurred will be the prosecuting jurisdiction for both offenses.

If you file a report of identity theft with this agency and it is determined through the investigation that a secondary offense occurred in another jurisdiction your case will be forwarded to that jurisdiction for prosecution.

If you are or suspect you are a victim of identity theft you should immediately close all bank accounts and credit card accounts. You should then contact one of the three major credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on your credit account. Some helpful resources are listed below.

Resources:

• Fight Identity Theft
• Federal Trade Commission
• Internet Fraud Complaint Center
• Social Security Administration Fraud Hotline: 1-800-269-0271
• Consumer Information on Identity Theft

Major Credit Bureaus

Checks

Stolen checks or bank accounts set up fraudulently in your name, call these check guarantee companies. They can flag your file so that counterfeit checks will be refused.

• CheckRite: (800) 766-2748
• Chexsystems: (800) 428-9623
• CrossCheck: (707) 586-0551
• Equifax: (800) 437-5120
• International Check Servics: (800) 526-5380
• SCAN: (800) 262-2771
• TeleCheck: (800) 710-9898
• National Check Fraud Center: 1-843-571-2143

Consumer Advocacy Groups

• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: 1717 Kettner Ave., Ste. 105, San Diego, CA 2101. Phone: (619) 298-3396; Email & website.
• U.S. Public Interest Research Group: 218 D St. S.E., Washington, DC 20001. Phone: (202) 546-9707; Email & website.