Peters police investigate identity fraud
Hundreds of residents in Peters Township and southern Allegheny County communities have reported fraudulent bank accounts being opened with their personal information.
Peters Township police Detective Edward Walker said police started getting complaints regarding fraudulent Chase Bank accounts in mid-January, but this month the department has received a concerning number of reports.
Walker said they don’t have any suspects, and that the accounts are being opened online.
“We don’t know how they’re getting this personal information,” he said. “Obviously, there was a breech somewhere.”
Walker said there have been reports of identity theft relating to the fraudulent accounts in Bethel, Baldwin, West Mifflin, Pleasant Hills and across the region. In Peters Township alone, police are investigating more than 25.
He said so far, it appears only the bank has been losing money on the fraudulent accounts, as it is currently running a promotion that provides $200 when a customer opens a new account. Walker said residents are still very concerned “because they know that whoever opened that account has their Social Security number.”
“Once you have someone’s information, you can do anything with it,” Walker said.
In a news release, Peters Township police noted that it will be working with the South Hills Area Council of Governments (SHACOG) to find the person responsible for the fraudulent accounts. The release also states that SHACOG plans to request assistance from the Secret Service.
JPMorgan Chase is aware of the situation and investigating.
“If ever in question, a consumer should reach out to the bank that opened the account or issued the debit card,” said JPMorgan Chase regional spokesperson Ashlei Bobo. “The consumer should ask the bank to remove the account from its records and share that information with reporting agencies.”
Walker also stated that residents should be on the lookout for mail from Chase that could be a “welcome to our bank” letter. It could mean that they’ve been a victim of identity theft and someone created a Chase account using their personal information.
“The biggest part, if anything, is that people have got to open that mail,” he said.