Fraud, Forgery & ID Theft

The district investigators are responsible for investigating financial and fraudulent crimes including identity theft, check forgery, credit card fraud, embezzlement, counterfeits, swindles, and financial exploitation of vulnerable adults. Fraud-related crimes continue to increase, particularly in the area of internet-related offenses.

Our investigators partner with various local, state, and federal agencies including the U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Postal Service, the State of Minnesota Alcohol & Gambling Enforcement, Minnesota Departments of Commerce and Revenue, and the Minnesota Financial Crimes Task Force to combat these crimes.

Fraud & Forgery Helpful Hints

What to do if you suspect fraud has occurred

To report fraud (and for all non-emergency police calls & information) please call 651-291-1111 or file a Saint Paul Police report online.

Once your police report is made, it will be referred to the district where the crime occurred for review and investigation and a decision will be made as to how it will be handled.

What happens next?

In many instances, the reporting person will receive a phone call, email or letter from an investigator asking for additional documentation (such as bank statements, affidavits, screenshots from your cell phone of communications with the fraudsters or other evidence) before we can proceed with the case.

In cases of check or credit card fraud, the bank issuing the checks or credit cards used in the commission of the fraud will often compensate you, the victim, and return any funds taken fraudulently to your account. Once the bank returns these funds, the bank itself (or in some cases, merchants or businesses who accepted the checks or credit cards) suffers the financial loss and becomes the actual victim. We then will continue to work with those entities to investigate, identify suspects and refer the case for criminal charges.

If you suspect any type of fraudulent activity or are the victim of identity theft yourself, file a Saint Paul Police report online. A report with the Saint Paul Police Department can be filed regardless of where your identity is fraudulently being used. This report can serve as proof of a police report when taking action to protect your identity and recoup losses.

Types of Fraud

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CHECK and CREDIT CARD FRAUD

Checks can be made on computers with programs such as Versa Check and by copying routing numbers off valid checks. Many of these checks look like they are legitimate and could have been issued by businesses as payroll checks. Credit cards can be stolen, account information obtained online, or manufactured easily with metadata obtained through breaches or by skimming at payment terminals and ATMs.

If you suspect check or credit card fraud has occurred, contact your bank and/or credit card companies immediately and advise them of the suspicious activity so that your accounts can be closed. To dispute purchases made fraudulently on your accounts, banks will typically require you to file a police report as part of their dispute process.

COUNTERFEIT MONEY and MONEY ORDERS

There has been an increase in the production of counterfeit money, cashier's checks, money orders, and traveler's checks. These are also being generated by computers. Computer hardware is so inexpensive that anyone can get into the "business" with an investment of $1,000 or less.

If your business is found to have accepted these items as real currency, report it immediately.

IDENTITY THEFT

Thieves use stolen credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, and driver's license numbers to open checking and credit accounts, and apply for loans, pay bills, and charge items over the phone or the Internet. Prosecution requires identification of the suspect and jurisdiction, which can be very difficult to accomplish.

If someone is using your personal information (name, date of birth, social security number, etc.) to open new accounts, make purchases or to receive benefits in your name, there are several agencies you may wish to report to in addition to the St. Paul Police Department. By immediately reporting identity theft to the Social Security Administration and the three major credit bureaus, you will be able to prevent further unauthorized use of your personal information. 

  • Contact the Social Security Administration at oig.ssa.gov or by phone at 800-269-0271 to report the fraudulent activity and request a freeze be placed on your social security number.
  • Contact the three major credit bureaus:

With each credit bureau, request a fraud alert be placed on your account.  By doing this, no new accounts will be opened in your name without you being contacted first.  

  • Contact the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov to report the identity theft and to get a free personal recovery plan that walks you through each step of recovering your identity.

DISABILITY FRAUD

Disability fraud can be reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office or Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or at oig.ssa.gov.

You may also report unauthorized/fraudulent income reported to the Internal Revenue Service under your identity using the Tax Fraud Hotline recording at 800-829-0433.

TELEPHONE AND ONLINE FRAUD SCAMS

Awareness is your best asset when it comes to online and telephone scams. The Federal Trade Commission offers free scam alerts and many resources on detecting and avoiding scams which you can access at ftc.gov/scams.

People often make arrangements to purchase items over the Internet through e-Bay, Craig’s List, Facebook Marketplace or other means. They will send a check to the seller for an amount of hundreds or even thousands of dollars more than the agreed upon price. The receiver of the check then contacts the person who sent the check. The receiver is then told the amount was made out “by mistake.” They are instructed to go ahead and deposit the check that was sent “by mistake.” The check receiver then is supposed to send another check to the original sender for the difference. The problem with this scheme is the check is usually fake. Victims are also disappointed when they learn local police often have no jurisdiction and no way to prove who perpetrated these scams. While this practice is common in this country, many Internet scams of this nature also originate from other countries.

Elderly or other vulnerable populations are easily socially engineered by scammers. Fear, shame, and confusion can cause vulnerable victims to lose their entire life savings. Don’t let your loved ones be taken advantage of. You are their best defense.

If you are a victim of a scam, you can report the incident to the St. Paul Police Department by making a report online or calling the non-emergency number (651-291-1111). Additionally, you may wish to report the incident to the FBI via their Internet Crime Complaint Center (known as IC3).  IC3 accepts online internet crime complaints from either the victim themself or from a third party who has knowledge of the incident. IC3 reports can be made online at www.ic3.gov.

You may also consider filing a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC protects consumers by stopping unfair, deceptive or fraudulent practices in the marketplace and collects complaints about hundreds of issues from data security and deceptive advertising to identity theft. You can file a report with the FTC www.ftc.gov.

TAX FRAUD

When the IRS receives two different returns with the same Social Security number, the second return filed will be rejected. If you e-filed you will get a notification of rejection at the time of submittal. If you filed by paper, you’ll get a written notice that explains that a return has already been filed. Even if you don’t get a letter from the IRS but suspect a fraudulent return has been filed with your information you can still take action

Complete IRS Form 14039 to alert the IRS that someone has stolen your identity filing a fraudulent return using your identifying information. You’ll also provide information about the tax year affected and the last return you filed prior to the identity theft.  After you complete Form 14039, mail it to the IRS with a copy of your Social Security card and driver’s license. If you don’t have a driver’s license, you can substitute a U.S. Passport, military ID, or other government-issued identification card.

If you received an IRS notice concerning the fraudulent return, include a copy of the notice. Mail the form and documents to the address shown in your notice.

If you did not receive an IRS notice, mail your documents to:

Internal Revenue Service

P.O. Box 9039

Andover, MA 01810-0939

When someone has enough of your personal information to file a fraudulent tax return, they can use your identity to commit other crimes. In addition to alerting the IRS, you should place a freeze on your credit report file with all three credit bureaus to prevent unauthorized accounts from being opened. The Federal Trade Commission also suggests filing a report with the FTC online at www.ftc.gov

EMBEZZLEMENT

If you are a business victimized by embezzlement complete your internal investigation and audit then file a report with the St. Paul Police Department and include any relevant supporting documentation. Once your case is assigned, an investigator will contact you and will likely request additional information and/or documentation. Once all necessary documentation has been received, the investigator will begin reviewing the case. Additionally, the assigned investigator will determine if the statutory elements defining the crime of theft are present based on available information and evidence. If these elements are present, the investigator will work with the Ramsey County Attorney’s office to determine an appropriate legal course.

FRAUDULENT ARREST OR CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS 

Contact the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) at 651-793-2400 and request a Questioned Identity Form. Fill out the form and submit it to the BCA. The BCA will undertake to investigate and clear the record, if a claim of ID theft is verified.

CONSTRUCTION FRAUD / THEFT BY SWINDLE

Occasionally people will be approached by unscrupulous contractors who will offer to replace siding on their homes or do some kind of home repair work. They will require large deposits before the work begins. They may start the project, if they do much work at all, and then are not seen again. Victims have been left not only with an unrefunded deposit, but substandard work for which they need to hire another contractor to fix.

Telltale Signs of Construction Fraud

  • Contractor / swindler solicits victim instead of victim calling or finding contractor in the Yellow Pages.
  • The swindler is not licensed to do any of the home improvements in the State of Minnesota.
  • The swindler frequently has a “record” with the State of Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
  • The swindler wants cash up front, usually a very large percentage of the quoted price or the total cost of the job.
  • The quoted price for the labor and materials is too low. • The workmanship is obviously shoddy.
  • The swindler may demolish large sections of the victim’s home, leaving debris everywhere and not returning. This is done to coerce the victim into paying more money so the swindler will return and fix the home.
  • The swindler will never be able to fix the home because they are unlicensed, are unqualified to be licensed, or is unable to obtain a building permit.
  • Often the swindler sounds like they knows what they are talking about because they may be employed by a construction company as an estimator or other work-related experience. However, they are not trained or licensed for trade work.

What to Do If This Happens To You

  • If you live in the City of Saint Paul, call the Police Department at (651) 291-1111 and request an officer come to your home to make a report. You will be contacted in a few days by an investigator for follow up.
  • If you have the following documents, please make copies for yourself and give the originals to the officer: 
    • Swindler’s business card
    • Estimate of the job
    • Contract
    • Cancelled checks

Prevention

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry recommends that if you are interested in having home repair work done on your home, get three estimates from licensed contractors before making a decision on who should do your project. You can find out if a building or remodeling contractor is licensed by calling the Department of Labor and Industry at (651) 284-5065, electricians at (651) 284-5064, and plumbers at (651) 284-5067 and the Better Business Bureau at (651) 699-1111.

Last Edited: June 13, 2023