Thursday, August 2, 2012

The Sheriff’s Department has issued a warning after a simple car stop turned up a stack of fake IDs. But it’s how those fake IDs were made that has officers concerned.

The man who was stopped was arrested on warrants related to other charges, but police say this case is a reminder to not make yourself an easy target for identity thieves.

A Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Deputy pulled a car over in the 4200 block of S. Hydraulic a little before 2:00 Wednesday afternoon. That deputy noticed several IDs in the car. Wichita Police Lt. Doug Nolte says the IDs were taken from home and vehicle burglaries and were being altered to create false identities.

Nolte says it appears at least two people were involved in the thefts, but the investigation will likely expand.

"It tends to broaden out, where you start connecting the dots to other people that are involved in this," Nolte says.

He also says the investigation is just in its beginning stages, but it appears there are at least a dozen cases of identity theft involved. It’s a reminder to not leave your personal information where it’s easy for thieves to find.