Greenfield: senior citizens have identities stolen
GREENFIELD, Ind. (WISH) – The Greenfield and Indianapolis police departments are investigating a massive identity theft ring.
“It’s probably one of the largest identity theft cases that the Greenfield Police Department has ever investigated,” said Chief John Jester.
Police say there is potential that more than 100 identities and $100,000 were stolen.
Police say the Golden Living Nursing Home in Greenfield is at the center of the investigation.
Investigators are still working to identify all the victims in this case.
They also say it’s possible someone from inside the facility stole the identities.
“Unfortunately, some of those victims may be deceased at this point and we’re going to have to go through and sort all of that out,” said Jester.
In a raid on at 318 South Randolph Street in Indianapolis, Greenfield and Indianapolis authorities found goods they say were bought with credit cards obtained by using stolen social security numbers.
They also found a ledger containing names and accounts.
“They came up and went into the house checked it and looked for whoever they were looking for,” said Robert Wiggins who lives next door.
It’s an issue authorities are keenly aware of. “Identities are being stolen at record rates,” said Cindy Oetjen, a Deputy Prosecutor with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
She says what happened here could happen anywhere.
“What we hope to do is, if your identity is stolen we want to make sure that just because someone can get a hold of your identity they have no way to use it against you,” said Oetjen.
The safeguards include checking your credit report for free every year. And freezing not only your credit, but also your children’s, and based on what happened in Greenfield, your elderly parents’ as well.
“Even people who are elderly who aren’t in the market to get new credit or aren’t going to be getting new credit, they should have security freezes on them because their heirs could possibly be on the hook,” said Oetjen.
The investigation is ongoing, police say they’re looking at and questioning a handful of suspects. No one though has been arrested or charged yet.
