Yes, however, we will refer the case to the U. S Postal Inspector. They have jurisdiction for investigating thefts involving mail.

We only investigate the cases that are related to the actual passing of the forged or counterfeit checks, or the fraudulent use of a credit card. If your checks are stolen from anywhere other than the mail, you should call 911 to make your police report. The offense will be forwarded to the police substation that handles theft offenses in your area. A Detective assigned to that division will be assigned to work the offense. Our office does not investigate the theft of checks or credit cards.

You may reduce your risk of being victimized if you follow the guidelines below.

Credit Card / Debit Card Account:

• Immediately contact the issuer of the credit: the credit card company, such as American Express or Visa, a department store, or a bank. We also recommend contacting someone in the “LOSS PREVENTION” department for the company, instead of someone in their customer service department.
• If your American Express, Visa, or any other card is used to purchase merchandise, you should also contact the store where the card was used. Again, contact someone in “LOSS PREVENTION” for the store and not someone in customer service.
• Contact all three (3) of the credit reporting companies and report the incident to each of them. (Please refer to phone numbers provided below)
• Ask them to put an alert on your credit report, this can alert creditors of potential fraud.
• Have a security statement added to your credit report.
• Call the Social Security Administration to report the fraudulent use of your number. They may, as a last resort, issue you a new number.

Checking Account:

• Immediately contact the bank where the account has been opened. Again, whenever possible, you should contact the “LOSS PREVENTION” department for the bank, not someone in customer service department.
• Contact the store where the check was passed, contacting the “LOSS PREVENTION” for the store, not customer service.
• Contact Telecheck and other check verification companies reporting the matter to them.

Credit Bureaus:
+ Trans Union Fraud Victim Assistance | 800-680-7289
+ Experian Consumer Fraud Assistance | 888-397-3742
+ Equifax Consumer Fraud Unit | 800-525-6285

Check Verification Companies:
+ Telecheck | 800-366-2425
+ National Processing Co. | 800-526-5380
*** Be sure to make ALL your notifications in writing after speaking to them on telephone.

You can reduce the risk of becoming a victim of fraud by following the suggestions below:

• Don’t use your birth date or mother’s maiden name as a password for your accounts.
• Avoid writing your account numbers on your checks when paying your credit card bills. If a criminal steals your monthly bank statement, these canceled checks will give the criminal all the information he or she needs to commit fraud.
• Protect your Social Security number. Do NOT put it or your driver license number on your checks.
• Shred all your credit card receipts and bank statements.
• Request credit reports from each of the credit bureaus, checking for discrepancies, on a regular basis.

The Texas Department of Public Safety handles all matters relating to your driver license number, therefore, you must contact them. Their phone number varies depending on where you live. You can find their phone number in the BLUE pages of the telephone book under “State Government”. Call the office nearest your residence.​​​​​​