Cybercrimes and Identity Theft Bureau

The Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau (CITB) was created in 2010 by District Attorney Vance in order to combat the growing number of identity theft and high technology crimes committed in New York County. CITB investigates and prosecutes cases involving cyber offenses committed against children as well as cyber-stalking and cyber-bullying, two prevalent criminal behaviors victimizing children, teens and adults. The Bureau reports to both the Trial and Investigations Divisions, and prioritizes its resources on investigations and prosecutions of cases involving malware, hacking, computer intrusions and related computer crimes.

CITB handles more than 200 identity theft cases each month ranging from using a stolen or counterfeit credit card for a single purchase to opening multiple accounts in a victim's name, falsifying documents, and using false identities to effect large frauds. The District Attorney’s Office has committed to the prosecution of these cases by dedicating over eighty Assistant District Attorneys to this issue. In addition, these Assistants District Attorneys have specialized training and expertise to prosecute such crimes. The Bureau conducts intensive, long-term investigations to identify and dismantle large, complex criminal organizations. In one such case, People v. Igor Klopov, et al, cyber criminals living in Russia and the United States were indicted and convicted for stealing over $1 million using the identities of some of the wealthiest Americans. In addition to attorneys, the Bureau has a dedicated team of highly-trained investigators and forensic analysts, led by nationally recognized computer crimes and computer forensic experts.

One of the goals of the Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau is to educate the public on steps that can be taken to prevent a person from becoming a victim of identity theft and to assess and limit the damage if one is a victim. To that end, the Bureau has its own Identity Theft Hotline (212.335.9600), which victims can use to contact the Bureau 24 hours a day in either English or Spanish. Through its presentations to various group and its distributions of a “Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft” brochure, the Bureau also provides important information on these crimes to the community.

See the Identity Theft brochure in *.pdf (en Español) ()

Useful Links:

• Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Page
• Social Security Administration
• Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
• National Consumers League 'Phishing' Information
• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
• Identity Theft Resource Center