A Fall River man faces multiple counts of fraud and larceny, following an investigation into identity fraud and stolen credit card numbers carried out by the Westport, Portsmouth and Fall River police departments.

Late last year, Westport detectives began investigating Keyshaun Taylor, 28, of Fall River, after receiving reports from local businesses that money had been illicitly transferred out of their bank accounts. During their investigation, a Portsmouth officer contacted Westport police regarding Taylor’s alleged criminal activity in Rhode Island, where he was already wanted on similar charges.

On Thursday, Jan. 18, Westport detectives served a search warrant at a Fall River home and “gathered evidence” that aided in the investigation, Westport police said. As a result, Taylor was subsequently arrested on two counts of felony larceny over $1,200, 12 counts of identity fraud and making a false statement to obtain a credit card. He was booked by Fall River police, who also charged him with being a fugitive from justice.

In a statement, Westport police said that “as identity theft continues to rise, it is important to be proactive  to protect yourselves, especially in the digital space where many thefts can occur behind a screen.”