Will an investigation be opened if You file a complaint?

Although the FTC does not have the authority to bring criminal cases, your complaint will be entered into the FTC's Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse. As a result, law enforcement officers, through their membership to the Clearinghouse, can search the information provided by you in the course of their criminal investigations. You will be contacted by a law enforcement agency if your case becomes part of one of their criminal investigations. As there is no guarantee, though, that your complaint will be investigated through the Clearinghouse, you should always maintain direct contact with your local police department to stay updated about the progress of your case.

Most law enforcement agencies agree that identity theft cases should be investigated aggressively. However, issues such as staff resources, caseloads, budget, and prosecutorial guidelines all affect whether or not a law enforcement agency will pursue your case. So when reporting your crime, be as accurate as possible about actual monetary loss and about any information relating to the suspect - such as actual name, address and date of birth - that you may know. The accuracy of this information could be the difference between having a case investigated or declined.

Ask your police department to search the FTC's Consumer Sentinel database for other complaints in your community. You may not be the first or only victim of this identity thief. If there is a pattern of cases, local authorities may give your case more consideration.