The Dothan area ranks 31st in the nation and second in Alabama in complaints of identity theft, and law enforcement officials are perplexed over why the numbers are so high.
According to a report compiled by the Federal Trade Commission, the Dothan Metropolitan Statistical Area accounted for 260 identity theft complaints in 2008. The Dothan MSA consists of Houston, Geneva and Henry counties.
Identity theft can happen in a number of ways. A person’s identity can be stolen by a computer hacker over the Internet, by a scammer over the phone, or by an opportunistic thief digging through residents’ trash. Identity theft also happens when a person’s credit card or other identifiable information is stolen by relatives or friends. The study tracks complaints only, and does not track arrests or convictions.
Sgt. Antonio Gonzalez, public information officer for the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, said he was surprised to learn the area ranked high in complaints logged.
However, Gonzalez said the office does urge residents to file reports.
“We work very hard to drive it home to residents who feel they may have been the victim of identity theft to report this issue,” Gonzalez said.
Dothan Police Capt. Larry Draughon said he did not know why Dothan ranked high, but offered several possibilities.
Draughon said the amount of older residents in the area could lead to more complaints. He said older Americans are often the target of identity theft. Areas in Arizona and California accounted for 20 of the top 50 areas in identity theft complaints.
Draughon also said the pass-through nature of Dothan may lead to some increased identity theft.
“A lot of people come through here, and right here you are 30 minutes away from two other states,” Draughon said.
“This is a very difficult thing to protect against,” said Draughon, who said he has been the victim of identity theft previously. “There is a big wide door for people that are knowledgeable in how to get that information.”
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Number of identity theft complaints received in 2008 per 100,000 inhabitants
1. Brownsville/Harlingen, Texas 366.8
2. Napa, Calif. 351.3
14. Montgomery, AL 227.8
31. Dothan, AL 188.1
45. Auburn/Opelika, AL 170.9
Source: 2008 Consumer Sentinel Report compiled through Federal Trade Commission
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