Crime & Safety
Identity Thefts on the Rise in Brecksville
Police: Use caution when buying items online, but also take a closer look at gas pumps and ATMs before using them.
Brecksville police officials say that reports of identity theft are on the rise in the city — and around Northeast Ohio — during the past few years.
There are several ways residents have their identities stolen.
Det. Dave Hetrick said that technology is partly to blame for the increase. High-tech thieves use high-tech “skimming devices” placed on gas pumps and ATMs, where private account information is stolen from the location.
Find out what's happening in Brecksvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“There are so many different ways (that identities are stolen),” Hetrick said. “It’s more than your usage. It’s a processing center getting hacked. Somebody could be in a parking lot grabbing these numbers. It’s more than being careful. There are so many ways that accounts can be compromised.”
Hetrick, who’s been a detective for eight years, is assigned the identity theft cases in Brecksville. He said there’s been a spike in the number of reports during the past several years.
Find out what's happening in Brecksvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Police chief Michael Carlin said that it’s not just a problem in Brecksville.
“It’s all over the county,” he said. “Identity theft is going through the roof. It isn’t a violent crime, so when they catch them, the judges don’t always give them jail time.”
There are a couple of ongoing investigations in Northeast Ohio.
Police departments often work together on these cases — because the victims (and suspects) come from all over.
“We try to look for patterns,” Hetrick said. “More often than not, these credit card numbers are used at great distances — Nigeria, France, Canada.”
He said people should be “aware of their surroundings” to avoid falling prey to an identity theft scam.
Anyone with information about identity theft — or if someone believes that they are a victim — they should call the Brecksville Police Department at 440-526-8900.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.