Austin police have identified and arrested Mark Maritano, a 45-year old credit card thief. Maritano ran an identity theft ring that spanned the Central Texas region for several months in 2013 and 2014.
Maritano was suspected of using a stolen credit card at a North Austin Valero gas station on Rundberg Lane in January 2014, and has since been apprehended for other financial crimes. With four warrants out for his arrest at the time of his apprehension, Maritano was taken to the Travis County Jail on charges of burglary of a habitation, four counts of credit card abuse, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. His bond was set for over $100,000.
Although the number of Austin area identity theft victims have not been released by authorities, APD continues to investigate the crime ring impacting various Texas communities.
Protect Yourself From Credit Card and Identity Theft
There are several proactive steps you can take to protect your identity and finances.
- Contact your debit card and credit card companies to add identity theft protection plans to each one. Fees may be associated with some protection plans.
- Contact a credit reporting agency and place a fraud alert on your credit cards. If suspicious activity is reported, the cards will be suspended and possibly replaced.
- Report stolen or lost credit cards to immediately and all of your close the accounts or replace the cards.
In an effort to stop credit card and identity theft in the Austin area, the University of Texas Center for Identity plans to use $5 million to build a resource center and websites that help Texans protect their identities. It is estimated that in Summer 2014 a website with educational resources and information about identity theft will be available.
Texas Comptroller Susan Combs hopes that the resource center provides education to Texas residents about the dangers associated with credit card use online and at commonly visited retailers, as well as identity theft online. The resource center plan was put into action after the Comptroller’s office had a security breach in 2011, putting 3.5 million Texans at risk of identity theft.
If you or a loved one are suspected or arrested for financial crimes or identity theft, call us to get answers. At Freedom Bail Bonds, we know that a loved one’s arrest can be a scary and confusing time. Our professional licensed bail bond agents in Austin, TX will be happy to help. Our goal is to educate you about the bonding process and answer your questions about getting a Travis County jail bail bond.
