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AG: Identity Theft Complaints Rise in 2014
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The state attorney general’s office says identity theft complaints in Ohio have already surpassed the number received last year by about 300.
A spokeswoman for Attorney General Mike DeWine says the consumer protection division of DeWine’s office has received 1,646 complaints this year, up from 1,343 for all of 2014.
The thieves use victims’ personal information to apply for income tax refunds, credit cards and loans and to obtain medical care.
The Dayton Daily News reports DeWine spokeswoman Kate Hanson says tax-related identity theft continues to be one of the major types of ID theft. She also noted an increase in complaints of scammers calling people pretending to be with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or U.S. Treasury and trying to trick them into sending money they don’t owe.