Sun Prairie police investigate identity theft cases

Similar cases reported in Madison

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — The Sun Prairie Police Department said it has received similar reports of identity theft and fraud in late July and early August.

Police said they have so far received reports of 11 incidents on two adjacent streets in Sun Prairie. Those streets include Gas Light Drive and Willow Brook Trail on the east side of the city of Sun Prairie.

In most cases, the identity of victims was used to open fraudulent accounts at large retail locations such as Macy’s, Sam’s Club, Best Buy, Victoria’s Secret and others, police said.

The purchases have been made primarily in the states of Texas, Arizona and Georgia, police said.

Police said the total loss to retailers exceeds $100,000.

Sun Prairie police said they have been working with the Madison Police Department on similar cases in Madison, which were also confined to a small geographical area.

The Sun Prairie Police Department said it’s also attempting to collaborate with federal agencies due to the large geographical area involved.

Victims of identity theft may file reports with the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ and the Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx.

Police said this case is ongoing and they encourage residents to contact the Sun Prairie Police Department at 608-837-7336 if they feel they may be the victim of identity theft and/or fraud.