Identity Theft Unit

Formed in November of 2004, the Identity Theft Unit is composed of 65 Assistant District Attorneys (ADAs) who have training and expertise in prosecuting crimes associated with identity theft. Identity theft crimes range from using a stolen credit card for a single purchase to opening multiple accounts in a victim's name, falsifying documents, and assuming someone else's identity. The Identity Theft Unit handles over 200 such cases each month.

One of the goals of the Identity Theft Unit is to educate the public on steps that can be taken to prevent becoming the victim of identity theft and to assess and limit the damage if one is a victim. To that end, the Unit has its own Identity Theft Hotline (212-335-9600), which victims can use to contact the Unit 24 hours a day in either English or Spanish. Through its presentations to various groups and its distribution of a "Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft" brochure, the Identity Theft Unit also provides important information on these crimes to the community.

See the Identity Theft brochure in *.pdf