| CBP Fights Identity Theft at Arizona Ports of Entry |
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| Written by Border Scope | |
| Wednesday, 01 July 2009 | |
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Yuma, Arizona - As part of CBP’s responsibility for securing the ports of entry while facilitating legitimate travel, officers at the ports of entry in Arizona have encountered more than 500 potential cases of identity theft that have been turned over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution since January of this year.
“Identity theft poses some very serious consequences for victims of this crime,” said David Higgerson, director of Field Operations, “and because our officers are in a position to uncover attempts at entering the U.S. by utilizing someone else’s identity, we take the responsibility seriously and work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to seek prosecution on all cases we encounter.” In an effort to ensure legitimate trade and travel, CBP officers check the identity and citizenship of everyone making entry into the United States to determine their admissibility and intent. As a result of the intense scrutiny, CBP officers encounter numerous cases of identity theft on a daily basis. Often times, the persons attempting to enter the U.S. in this fashion use documents they have purchased or found that belong to other people and pretend to be that person for the express purpose of gaining entry. Others simply purchase or create a fraudulent document utilizing the identity of another, again to make entry into the United States. |
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