FTC: Southwest Part of Brownsville is ID Theft Capital of U.S.

Reported by: Manuel De La Rosa
Last Update: 6:58 pm

BROWNSVILLE - The southwest part of Brownsville is the identity theft capital of the United States, according to a federal agency.

The Federal Trade Commission says over the past five years, more complaints have come from Brownsville, specifically from the 78521 Zip code. The area around the Brownsville-South Padre Island Airport is the worst location in the nation for identity theft. More than 1,500 complaints have been filed in the past five years.

Twenty-two-year-old Guadalupe Vidrio was one of those victims. She lost her birth certificate and Social Security card while going to school in Iowa. The IRS wrote a letter to inform her about extra pay she didn't claim.

"It says in 2008 and in 2009. I recently got the papers so they have been using it for a couple of years, and I had no idea," says Vidrio.

She found out a few weeks ago. Her life has been turned upside down ever since.

"Right now, I’m in the process of almost graduating and I’m going to be opening up a business. So right now, it's kind of messing up my credit where I can get a loan to open my business," says Vidrio.

These types of numbers on identity theft don't surprise the Brownsville Police Department. Last year, they had 1,000 cases. They say these types of crimes are hard to solve. They blame the proximity to the border for the high number of cases.

"People are using, especially people who don't or are not legally here in the United States. These people are obtaining things so they can obtain employment." Says Brownsville police Sgt. Eddie Garcia.

Vidrio says she learned from this experience. She has invested in a program that will let her know if her identity is taken.

"Whenever your Social or credit is trying to be used in different states and in different places, they contact you right away through mail or phone. They put a hold on it and red flag it, saying that person is using your identity illegally," says Vidrio.

It's a smart investment that may go a long way in rebuilding her credit and her life.

Another hot Zip code for identity theft in Brownsville is 78520. It was No. 12 in the nation for complaints. Police say it's a crime that never seems to go away in the Lower Valley.

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