Texas Attorney General’s Office Opens Criminal Investigation on Identify Theft Scam

A state agency has opened a criminal investigation into an ongoing scheme orchestrated by identity thieves.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office is currently investigating a scheme by identity thieves who pose as employees of the Texas Attorney General’s Office and attempt to steal the identities of targeted individuals, particularly those who have applied for a short-term loan.

Last month, nearly 200 Texans reported receiving telephone calls from criminals posing as employees of the office, and claiming that the Attorney General’s Office has launched a criminal investigation against him or her.

They are told that an arrest warrant has been issued due to the resident’s purported failure to repay a short-term loan.

The victims are then asked to confirm their Social Security number and other personal information such as their address and employer.

The victims are told by the identity thieves that in order to resolve the situation, they must purchase a pre-paid debit card, load it with the amount left to pay on their short-term loan, and then provide the imposter with the number on the card.

The identity thief is then able to both steal the funds on the card and use the victim’s sensitive personal information to steal their identity.

The Attorney General’s Office explicitly states that under no circumstances do they ever solicit payments from Texans to pay off a short-term loan or grant immediately, nor do they issue arrest warrants for that purpose.  

Many Texans who have reported the scheme recognize the payment demand is a scam and refuse to share their information. However, many others have reported giving more than $2,000 dollars to the identity thieves.

If you believe you have been a victim of this scam, visit www.texasfightsidtheft.gov to receive more information on how to protect your identity.

You may also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov.