News Article

03/07/2016, On February 29, 2016, Michael David Hopkins, age 50, of Westminster was arrested on charges of forgery, impersonating a public servant, gathering identity information by deception and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Hopkins has allegedly been soliciting individuals who were unable to lawfully obtain a driver license due to being under restraint, lack of qualifications or inability to demonstrate lawful presence in the U.S. for the past two years. Hopkins would allegedly impersonate a DMV employee while meeting with individuals and provide them with counterfeit temporary driver licenses in exchange for money. The Colorado DMV investigations unit is urging any individuals who may have been contacted by or used the services of this individual to contact the DMV hotline at 1-855-778-2368 This case is being investigated by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Motor Vehicle Investigations Unit and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Colorado Department of Revenue records show that Hopkins has never been employed with the Colorado DMV. This investigation is not related to other current DMV investigations. As this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to provide further information.

09/18/2015‚ The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Identity Theft/Fraud Unit has seen a surge of imposter Internal Revenue Service (IRS) calls in recent weeks and offers tips related to this far-reaching scam. The scam works when the caller states the IRS is filing a lawsuit against the person for unpaid taxes, and that the person will be arrested if the taxes are not paid immediately. The caller demands the person wire the money or pay via pre-paid debit/credit cards. What you need to know: Most importantly: this is SCAM! The IRS will not make threatening phone calls about alleged owed taxes and demand that a person use a pre-paid debit/credit card to settle a debt. If you receive a call, simply hang up the phone. DO NOT engage in a conversation with the person claiming to represent the IRS or US Treasury. DO NOT return a call if a person leaves you a message. The goal is to ignore the calls completely. Visit the IRS website and report these instances or to learn more about this scam: "http://www.irs.gov/uac/Report-Phishing" target="_blank">http://www.irs.gov/uac/Report-Phishing

10/4/2014, The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Identity Theft/Fraud Unit has joined the social media conversation by launching a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CBI.IDTheft https://www.facebook.com/CBI.IDTheft to share important information and to help reduce the impact of identity theft and fraud.
Those who &lsquo,like&rsquo, the CBI Identity Theft page will obtain details about current identity theft scams and other fraud-related information prevalent in Colorado and across the nation.

&ldquo,Our goal is to share timely and meaningful awareness information to minimize the impact of identity theft and fraud,&rdquo, said Agent in Charge Ralph Gagliardi who oversees the CBI Identity Theft/Fraud Unit. &ldquo,We want friends, families and neighbors to relay critical awareness information, whether through the Facebook page or daily conversation, to help reduce the impact identity theft.&rdquo,

Have you been impacted by identity theft or fraud? The CBI offers a toll free hotline (1-855-443-3489) that is staffed 24/7 to help victims take the critical first steps in recovering from these prolific crimes.

&ldquo,Whether it&rsquo,s through social media, or engaging the community through presentations or participation in community events, the CBI is committed to not only helping victims impacted by identity and fraud, but also working to prevent victimization,&rdquo, said CBI Director Ron Sloan.,