Holidays Bring Increase in Credit Card Fraud Cases

What should you do if you become a victim of credit card fraud?

According to the Gwinnett County Police Department, the Electronic and Financial Crimes Unit (EFCU) experiences a large increase in the number of credit card fraud cases during the holiday season.

Because stolen credit card information is used across the country and even internationally, police say these cases can be difficult to investigate due to the various jurisdictions involved.

To help facilitate these investigations, the ECFU recommends victims complete both a Gwinnett County incident report and a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) -- a collaboration between the FBI, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the National White Collar Crime Center. 

As a member of the National White Collar Crime Center, GCPD receives complaint referrals submitted through IC3.

"When a victim files a complaint with IC3, the complaint is reviewed and forwarded to appropriate jurisdictions for investigation," an ECFU press release stated. "Due to complaint referrals from IC3, GCPD has been able to successfully close a number of investigations originating in other jurisdictions.  By completing a complaint through IC3, victims maximize the chance that their case will have a successful resolution."

For more information, visit the IC3 website at www.ic3.gov.

Some GCPD reports may be filed online. Click here.