CRIMETRACKER: Web Only--Identity Theft Explored

The crime of Identity theft is so involved and can meticulize in so many different ways, it seems difficult for the average person to wrap their head around it, and for police to keep on top of it. So now, hear from one of the capital region's leading identity theft experts: Colonie Police Chief Stephen Heider.

Reporter, Teresa Priolo: You were saying this only recently became a crime on the books?

Chief Stephen Heider: You have to understand, because this is not a violent crime, because it's not a part one crime in the uniform reporting act that we follow for FBI crimes, for years the crime didn't have a name within the penal code of New York. There wasn't a thing called Identity theft. They all fell under the larceny statute, the misapplication of property statute.

Reporter, Teresa Priolo: If it's just something that has recently come to the forefront as an important crime, then is it reasonable to assume police departments around the state or even the country do not have a good handle as to how many cases they have handled?

Heider: I don't think anyone has a handle as to how many cases they've had and I'll tell you why. Our major credit card companies are famous for telling their customers to not even call the police. It's become a business transaction for these credit card companies, who are loosing enough money today because of other reasons, but who just write off the loss. Just apply more interest for you and I to make up for the difference. So, we really do not have an accurate record as to how many credit card frauds are out there. We regret that because there is no way I, as a Polcie Chief, know how to assign my resources, deploy my resources and individual officers without knowing what kind of crimes are happening.

Reporter, Teresa Priolo: Is this the crime of suburbia these days?

Heider: As far as the crime of suburbia, there's no question because we do not have a lot of violent crime. . . there's no question about it. These crimes take precedence in how we handle cases.

Reporter, Teresa Priolo: So from a law enforcement perspective, how hard is it to crack a case like this?

Heider: It's not a question of how hard a case like this is. It's a question of whether or not law enforcement takes the initiative to do it.

Reporter, Teresa Priolo: And that seems to be the real key, "If." Because as you said, there's no real physical scar, there's no one you can pick out of a lineup and say, "that's the guy that I saw attack me." It's completely different, as if there is an invisible attacker.

Heider: . .That almost provides a shield for defendants in these cases, because a lot of times people never see who stole their credit card.