This section of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department’s website is intended to assist the citizens of Pima County by providing resources and information regarding financial-related criminal activity.  Too often, victims don’t realize they’ve been defrauded until days or weeks after the crime has occurred; and, the criminals are usually long gone. 

Learn to protect yourself, and your family, against identity theft and the opportunistic criminal. 

The Fraud Detail of the Pima County Sheriff's Department’s Economic Crimes Unit investigates financial crimes occurring within the unincorporated areas of Pima County. These crimes include, but are not limited to, credit card fraud, credit card forgery, check fraud, counterfeit checks, forged checks, counterfeit money, embezzlement, and identity theft.

Financial-related crimes are frequently investigated jointly with other agencies, such as:

• United States Postal Inspection Service
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• United States Secret Service
• Financial Institutions
• Local and out-of-state law enforcement agencies

The most common types of financial crimes are:

• Identity Theft: Someone uses your identity (personal information) for the purpose of obtaining a benefit of some kind – open credit or bank accounts, obtain a loan, arrange for utility services, or to make other purchases.
• Credit Card Fraud: Someone uses your credit or debit card without your permission.
• Forgery: Someone alters/modifies one of your checks and writes the check out to themselves or to pay one of their bills.  This is only one example of forgery.

Please refer to Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS), Title 13, for additional information regarding laws related to financial crimes in Arizona.

You may be a victim of identity theft if you:

1. Receive a credit card that you did not apply for
2. Receive a bill or statement for something that you did not purchase
3. Are denied credit for no apparent reason
4. Notice unfamiliar accounts on your credit report

Any account opened in your name should show-up on your credit report.  Everyone should obtain their credit report on an annual basis.  Arizona residents are entitled to a free credit report once a year from www.annualcreditreport.com. 

More about economic crimes and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim.

• The criminal element and what criminals look for (PDF)
• Tips to prevent identify theft, fraud, and other financial crimes (PDF)
• What to do if you have become a victim of identity theft (PDF)
• Scams and Cons
• PCSD Identify Theft Brochure (PDF)
• Resources – Helpful links