Identity Theft Crackdown Sweeps the Nation

A national crackdown last month on suspected identity thieves resulted in 105 arrests and over 900 charges across 23 states.

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The sweep by the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department ahead of tax time is part of stepped-up efforts against refund fraud and identity theft. Karen Connelly with the IRS offices in Denver describes the crack down as massive..

"Identity theft, of course, does lead to refund fraud and other problems for persons who have their identity stolen."

Connelly says the operation directed much of the focus on money service businesses to make sure places like check-cashing facilities aren't feeding the problem.

But Connelly says identity theft can happen in so many different it ways its really hard to stop, "because every time there's a new safety net put into place the criminals get a little bit more crafty."

She says individuals need to remain vigilant, shred documents, be very careful about who gets your information and be sure that businesses you work with are legitimate.