Thread: Identity Theft Passing Drug Trafficking

FSM has tracked illegal alien crimes committed against Americans, and identity theft is a popular one. FSM Contributing Editor Renee Taylor demonstrates how dreadful it is to be a victim of such a crime.

Identity Theft Passing Drug Trafficking As #1 U.S. Crime

By Renee Taylor

What started as a typical day for Cathy Hinklin, a small business owner living a quiet life in the “Show Me” state of Missouri, quickly turned into every consumer's worst nightmare. Sitting behind her desk for a relaxed morning of paperwork, she opened her bank statement and was stunned into disbelief. Approximately $1,000 was missing. Carefully reading every detail of the statement, she found there were purchases to Sears.com and Northern Tool Company, but neither purchase had been made by her or her husband. While, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, it takes 12 months on average for a victim of identity theft even to notice the crime, it was in the flash of a bank statement that Cathy learned of hers.



The crime of identity theft is growing exponentially, which makes sense as it is a popular crime among illegal aliens (whose numbers in our country are also growing exponentially). Most studies show that there are about 10 million victims of identify theft each year, which means that the identities of about 19 people each minute are stolen. Further, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) has completed a preliminary study that reveals the majority of ID theft criminals are repeat offenders, with other offenses including immigration issues, substance abuse, violent crime, narcotic trafficking, and robbery.



Cathy contacted Sears and Northern Tool Company and, after much resistance, finally was given the purchaser’s name: "Dave J. Hinklin", with a California address and telephone number. Northern Tool's customer service office, however, advised her that the purchases had been authorized by a J. Hinklin and there wasn't anything they could do to assist her. Armed with the assumed name of the criminal, a possible address and a phone number, she immediately met with her local bank. Completing the proper forms, she was told that the bank would return the money to her account, but that no further action would be taken.



Hinklin was horrified. Neither she nor her husband knew a "Dave Hinklin" and had no relatives in California. She began a weekend-long, dead end search to find help. It was not an issue of the money. It was the breach of personal security that troubled the couple. How could someone in California obtain such vital, theoretically secure, information necessary to make credit purchases online or in person in this assumed name?



Pro-active by nature, Cathy’s next call after the bank visit was to the FBI in St. Louis. It was Saturday and she was told "you did the right thing", but was advised to call again on Monday when the proper agents were in the office. It was a long weekend of research and planning.



Who does one call in the case of identity theft? According to the Federal Trade Commission website:


The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, enacted by Congress in October 1998 (and codified, in part, at 18 U.S.C. §102 makes identity theft a federal crime.
Under federal criminal law, identity theft takes place when someone "knowingly transfers, possesses or uses, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, or in connection with, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable state or local law."

Under this definition, a name or Social Security number is considered a "means of identification." So is a credit card number, cellular telephone electronic serial number, or any other piece of information that may be used alone or in conjunction with other information to identify a specific individual.


Violations of the federal crime are investigated by federal law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General. Federal identity theft cases are prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.



So early Monday morning, the first call was to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in St. Louis, Missouri. As the crime involved identity and monetary theft across state lines, the FBI seemed like a good place to find solutions. Or so she thought.



Hinklin was told that the FBI does not investigate identity theft that involves "such a small amount". Incredulous, she attempted to explain to the agent that this was never about the money, but rather, the crime of identity theft. The call ended in frustration and growing anger. The Office of Homeland Security was more cordial than the FBI, advising Hinklin to contact the Federal Trade Commission. She was met again by a brick wall in the form of a woman named "Dawna". Hinklin was told, “It was ‘only $1,000’ " and, further, she needed to contact her district attorney's office. The FTC's website, by the way, is full of tips and advice for avoiding identity theft and they claim to assist the victims.



Unwilling to give up, she called her United States District Attorney's Office in Cape Girardeau, who refused to speak to her, telling her to contact Attorney General Jay Nixon's office. At that office, she was informed they would “send her forms to fill out” to file a complaint. Once again, Hinklin was pushed further down the proverbial food chain to the Wayne County, Missouri, sheriff's office. This defies all common sense - the perpetrator was in California and the local sheriff's office would not have jurisdiction. She made the call anyway and her suspicions were confirmed. She was, at this point, given the number to the Cathedral City Police Department in California.



Hinklin nearly dropped her telephone receiver when the dispatcher in California, after hearing the information including the name, a California shipping address and a California cell phone number, asked "Why are you calling us instead of your local sheriff's office?" Persistent and unwilling once again to be ignored, she finally filed the report although she did not expect much.



Surprisingly and before long, a phone call came from the investigating officer in California. He advised Hinklin that the telephone number was a cell phone in the area and they would check the address. She was also asked if she would be willing to "prosecute Dave Hinklin, or whoever it is, if caught." By all means, prosecute!



At this time, the fate of "Dave Hinklin" is still unknown as Cathy and John Hinklin await action by the Cathedral City Police Department. There are many questions left unanswered.



The FBI and FTC websites have extensive information on the prevention of identity theft and steps to take if you are a victim. However, as noted in the Hinklins’ case, "small time" criminals apparently are not worth the time and effort of our law enforcement agencies. What is the average consumer to do? The inaction and apathy on behalf of banks and the very agencies charged with tracking and prosecuting these criminals is shocking, which of course only serves to encourage the criminal to continue stealing.



"Dave Hinklin" is probably enjoying his new purchases without fear of prosecution. Cathy and John Hinklin have had to change bank accounts; they’ve lost countless hours in a wild goose chase, searching for someone willing to assume the task of apprehending the criminal; and they spent many hours notifying credit agencies and vendors of their problem.



According to the U.S. Department of Justice Statistics, identity theft is now passing drug trafficking as the Number One U.S. crime, so it’s no surprise that studies show that identity theft cost U.S. businesses and consumers $56.6 billion in 2005. An ITRC study completed in 2004 showed that the average consumer spends an average of 330 hours recovering from this crime, often over a period of years.



Let’s hope Cathy Hinklin fares better than this. Embodying the spirit of her state, a stubbornness and devotion to simple common sense, she may pull through better than most. But I wouldn’t count on it.



Renee Taylor is the editor of http://www.greatmindsthinkright.com/, a freelance writer, photographer, home schooling mom and publicist for Joey Holiday. A former truck driver, she has devoted her time to studying convoy operations and promoting the positive image of the American Trucker in Iraq.

http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/ho ... 259ad756c1

were purchases to Sears.com and Northern Tool Company,

You need clothing and tools to do the job....shop at any tools store---the amount of Illegals is AMAZING!