Sheriff officials estimate 30 percent jump in reports to agency
this month
Gilroy – You might want to invest in a paper shredder – identity theft, fraud and forgery are on the rise in South County. Area police are noticing that paper crimes are on the upswing after a spike in burglaries this spring.
“We’re definitely getting creamed,” said Detective Sgt. Doug Stevens, of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. “We’re seeing everything from forged checks to charge accounts opened under a different name, to the old stealing the mail trick.”
Stevens estimated a 30 percent spike in the number of reports the agency has received this month.
Just last week Deputy Jim Helms intercepted a van at 490 East Middle Ave. and discovered 23 stolen identification cards from individuals in Las Vegas, Arizona, Aroma, San Jose, and throughout Gilroy and Morgan Hill. He confiscated a computer program used to make checks as well as a stack of checks and credit card numbers.
Helms arrested Robert Guillermo Martinez, 30, of San Jose, Teneka Maria Becerra, 26, of 8290 Glenwood Drive, and Ronnie Jeanne Hernandez, 23, of Morgan Hill, for forged bank checks and possession of stolen property.
“It’s probably going to clear up a lot of thefts,” said Lt. Dale Unger, commander of the South County unit. “Some of them weren’t even aware they were victims until we called.”
The stack of credit card numbers in the van were from an area flower shop. Deputies called the store to tell them not to throw their receipts away.
“People, even businesses, need to be careful about what they throw away,” Unger said. “You hear of Dumpster diving all the time. I shred all my credit card bills, anything that might have personal information on it.”
But the crimes are not limited to the unincorporated areas of South County.
“These kinds of crimes are just skyrocketing,” said Detective Frank Bozzo of the Gilroy Police Department. “The trend that we’re seeing right now is suspects getting their hands on personal information from homes and vehicle burglaries. Out of that almost always comes ID theft or fraudulent use of credit cards.”
Vehicle burglaries rose from 42 in January 2004, to 45 in 2005 and 56 in 2006. In February, the number soared going from 21 in 2004 to 23 the following year and climbing to 76 this year.
Usually during the holidays vehicle burglaries go up, but after January the figures typically die down.
“But it didn’t take a dive after New Years, it just went up,” Bozzo said. “We’re just coming off the huge wave now.”
When thieves steal purses and gym bags they’re not just after the cash in the wallets – but the name on the license, the social security card and the checkbook.
“They’re probably going to be using your credit card within 15 to 30 minutes of obtaining it,” Bozzo said. “They’re probably going to be using it locally, and the first stop is going to be for gas. The suspects know people are getting smarter. They know people will probably cancel their cards within 24 hours. They know they have to use it right away.”
According to Bozzo, the bigger box stores are more susceptible to being duped by the thieves. Their clerks handle more customers by volume and probably don’t check IDs as closely as they should. And checks will still go through sometimes days or even weeks after being canceled.
“We see the checks floating around for months,” he said.
Credit cards show a hold immediately.
“You can’t do that with checks,” Bozzo said. “And checks are much easier to counterfeit. It’s a huge issue in the United States right now, billions of dollars are lost (annually.)”
The Federal Trade Commission’s 2005 statistics on identity theft and fraud showed that California led the United States in reported cases. Credit card companies indicated they receive between 650 and 800 new fraudulent cases each day.
“The merchants have to pay a little bit more attention,” Bozzo said. “The merchants are the ones who take it on the back end of the financial losses. I would expect them to watch it the most, but a lot of times they don’t.”
He is currently working on a case where three different females were able to pass off as the woman in the license they were handing over to clerks – even though none looked anything like her. The victim’s purse was stolen from her car in the weeks before.
“Victims of identity theft can literally have their lives turned upside down. It’s stressful … You have the IRS knocking on your door. It can take years to restore their ID,” he said. “I’m hoping people will take a moment to think about how open they’re leaving themselves. It’s the information age where everything is so accessible. If you pick the right target its easy.”
Police urge individuals to take everything of value in your vehicle out when you leave for any period of time.
“There are people out there looking for an opportunity,” Bozzo said. “They sit and wait in parking lots watching as people walk into stores. You may be in a store for only five minutes but that’s all it takes and people are watching all the time. I see these cases come in every day.”
Police recommend placing a hold on mail delivery if you go on vacation and alert neighbors that you will be gone. Anticipate when the mail is delivered and check it as soon as possible. Never throw away personal information without shredding it beforehand – including credit card offers.
Postmaster Penny Yates recommends either purchasing a mailbox with a lock or making one.
“The people that are stealing mail don’t want to waste their time with that box when there are thousands open,” Yates said. She recommends that if you live in a rural area – be vigilant about checking mail.
“When you leave it just sitting there you’re just leaving yourself wide open,” she said.
If you recognize any of the suspects in the photos, contact Det. Frank Bozzo at 846-0334.
