In today’s society where having a good credit report is almost as important to survival as food, it might be a bit of a surprise to learn identity theft is more than obtaining credit in someone else’s name.

So far this year, there have been 45 reports of identity theft in DeKalb. There were 68 reports all of last year, according to DeKalb Police reports.

However, there have been 92 reports of unlawful use of a credit card and 71 reports of theft of a credit card this year.

The difference between identity theft and using someone else’s credit card is subtle, said Bill Engerman, first assistant state’s attorney for DeKalb County.

“Typically when we deal with an unlawful use of a credit card, there is a prior relationship between the person using the card and the cardholder,” Engerman said. “For example: a son using his parent’s card.”

Engerman said identity theft happens when someone is intentionally posing as another person.
“Identity theft is much more serious because usually the person has taken on the identity of someone else and is using it to buy identification cards or even to get a job,” Engerman said.
DeKalb Police Detective Angel Reyes said identity theft is more commonplace today because of the use of credit and debit cards.

“We use credit cards as a convenience today,” he said. “People rarely carry cash on them anymore and use a debit or credit card.”

Reyes said it often comes down to what the police can prove when it comes to charging someone with identity theft.

“To prove [identity theft], you have to find out where and when it started, and that can be difficult to prove,” Reyes said.

There are ways to protect against identity theft, Reyes said. One way is to keep an eye on your credit report. Reyes suggested checking your report once every four months by going to one of the three major credit bureaus.

“A person is allowed to check their credit report for free once a year from all three major credit bureaus,” Reyes said. “Look for any unusual activity. For example, any credit cards or loans taken out in your name that you aren’t aware of.”

He said some warning signs are being declined for a line of credit and missing bills.

Reyes said another form of protection is to freeze your credit.

“A bank or credit card company isn’t going to lend money if they can’t obtain a credit report,” he said. “Then when you are applying for credit, you would unfreeze it.”

Reyes said if someone suspects their identity has been stolen to report it to the police right away. He said the person will be asked to fill out several forms to be sent to the credit bureaus letting them know their identity was compromised.

Above all, Reyes said to not panic.

“While it does cause all kinds of headaches, there are several companies that will work with those whose identity is stolen and help them regroup and prevent it from happening in the future,” he said.

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