The answer to this is yes, a crime has been committed. Identity theft and identity fraud, although used interchangeably, do have some subtle basic disparities. The differences lie in how the information is used. In identity theft, criminals have illegally obtained personal information such as a social security number, driver’s license number, your name and date of birth that has been stolen, acquired or collected for illegal or unlawful use whether the victim is dead or alive. With this information, a criminal can open accounts or commit crimes that not only affect the victim, who may end up responsible for the crimes. (Experian, 2015). Identity fraud is stealing someone’s personal information and uses it for the purpose to defraud …show more content…
Identity theft over the years has cost citizens and businesses millions of dollars each year just in the United States alone. It has also taken on different forms from true identity theft (false impersonation), to theft for financial gain, and to non-credit forms of identity theft. Identity theft does not necessarily have to cause monetary damage, but what it does do to a victim’s credit, medical history, citizenship, driving records, etc. can do possibly more damage. Furthermore, identity theft threatens our national security, impacts our economy, and can facilitate terrorism and illegal …show more content…
In 1998 the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act was passed by Congress making identity theft a federal crime. It included other statutes such as identification fraud, computer fraud, credit card fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and financial institution fraud. The Theft Penalty Enhancement Act was passed in 2004, which increased penalties for aggravated identity theft. Later in May 2006, the Presidents Identity Theft Task Force was established and by April 2007 they issued legislative recommendations to close gaps in the federal criminal statutes and also provided recommendations for fighting identity theft. Later in 2007 the FTC, directed by Congress, issued the Identity Theft Red-Flag Rule, requiring businesses and institutions to have written programs on identity theft prevention. Next the Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act of 2008 was passed that authorized restitution to victims for time spent recovering from the harms identity theft, whether intended or actual (Finklea,
There is a thief that lurks around us everyday; this thief can attack in brad day light or in the darkest hour, and just about anywhere you may find yourself. This thief has the power to act in your name, make unlimited purchases, open up credit accounts and ruin your good name and credit all in the matter of seconds; if you are vulnerable enough, you might become his next victim. In many cases all he needs is your name and a social security number, and he has enough information to make you his next victim; if you don’t believe me then ask the millions of Americans that became victim’s, or just ask me. The thief that I am talking about is identity theft. Identity theft is a
Have you ever received a credit card bill at the end of the month with a ridiculous amount of money needed to be paid that you never spent? This is because of identity theft. The FTC estimates that each year, over 9 million people are affected by identity theft. According to Sally Driscoll, this is because almost anyone with a computer and a slight bit of computer knowledge can pull off identity theft. Experts also claim that identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the world. Identity theft is a global problem that cannot be stopped without effective measures. The problem is, effective measures are very hard to come by when dealing with identity theft because almost any security protocol can be by-passed.
Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act is a federal law established in 1998 that protects people from identity theft. Prior to this date there were not any specific laws to address this issue. The definition on the Federal Trade Commission’s website reads. “knowingly transfers or uses, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of Federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable State or local law;”
Identity theft is a significant problem to both citizens and financial institutions. The FTC estimates that over 27.3 million Americans have been the victims of identity theft in the past five years. The
The government is working very hard to fight against identity theft. Congress passed the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act to help people who have been a victim of identity theft. This act helps to prosecute suspects that have committed crimes dealing with identity theft. Suspects can get anywhere from 15 to 30 years when it comes to identity theft. Identity theft includes credit card fraud, identification fraud, computer fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, or financial institution fraud. Not only do these suspects go to prison, but they have to pay the money back, and anything that is gained in the while committing the crime will be seized. The government works very hard with other agencies to help prosecute crimes that involve identity
Identity theft involves gathering valuable information retaining to an individual in order to make a financial gain out of the process. This’ll usually involve the attacker having to open a bank account in the victim’s name and ask for a new credit card for the account. They can then withdraw as much money as they please from the account before the victim can do anything. In 2014, 47% of American adults had their personal information stolen by hackers making identity theft the largest cybercrime to date. According to the U.S Justice Department, every 3 seconds someone becomes a victim of identity theft. Over $18 billion had been stolen as a result. Identity theft comes from hackers or scammers either convincing victims into giving up personal
Identity Theft is the assumption of a person’s identity in order to obtain credit cards from back account and retailers; the crime varies from stealing money from existing bank accounts; renting apartments or storage units; applying for loans or establishing accounts using another’s name (legal dictionary, 2007). Identity theft and identity fraud are terms that are often used
Have you ever had your identity stolen? In today’s Information Age, data security breaches and identity theft are becoming a much more prevalent crime. According to NBC news, there were over 12.6 million reported cases of identity theft in the United States alone in 2012. When broken down that is 35,000 cases of identity theft each day! The repercussions of this for the victim can vary greatly. An individual can simply have a few fraudulent charges made on their credit card, which most banks will cover. However, if that individual is not careful they could have numerous loans taken out in their name, maxed out credit
Identity theft is the fastest growing fraud crime in America (Finklea, 2009). Gaining knowledge in preventing theft will better the economy and lower the crime rates in America. There are reported 9.9 million victims of identity theft and this number is increasing rapidly as the years go on. It has been reported that an estimate of fifty billion dollars has been charged to our consumers every year due to identity theft (Finklea, 2009).
Identity theft, the fraudulent acquisition and use of a person’s private identifying information, commonly seen in a financial gain or in a way to get money. An identity thief usually will find various ways to take the identity of a random person and say that they are that certain person. Ways that thieves steal other people’s identities is by hacking into personal computers where there people have their personal information stored in files. Also, thieves trick people into getting a job or an apartment and they get fooled by giving their personal information for example giving away their social security number or even giving them their debit card number. Some people even take away wallets or purses where there are some sort of personal information
Identity theft is a common crime in the United States today. It happens when people are not careful of their personal information. Millions of people are victims if Identity theft. According to consumer.gov Identity theft happens when someone uses information about you without your permission. Identity thieves could use a wide variety of information such as your name and address, credit card or bank account numbers, Social Security number and medical insurance account number. It is such as serious crime because you will be responsible for what the thief does while using your personal information. They can obtain a new credit card under your name and buy things with your credit card. It is important to know how to keep your sensitive information safe and know how Identity theft works in today’s society to prevent yourself from
In today's society, there is a white-collar crime that has greatly risen in popularity among criminals. This crime is identity theft. Hundreds of thousands of people have their identities stolen each year. Identity theft is when these criminals obtain and use consumers personal information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, insurance information, and social security numbers to purchase goods or services fraudulently. According to the Federal Trade Commission, over 1.1 million people were the victim of identity theft. With this number, it is very evident that identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in our country. This paper will attempt to more thoroughly define identity theft. It will
A. Identity theft is defined as an illegal use of someone’s information in order to obtain money or credit in the
Identity theft affects millions of Americans every day. Scam artists and hackers lay in wait for an unsuspecting person to get caught up their scheme through ignorance or naivety so they can take full advantage of their personal information to do as they desire with it. Problem is, it infiltrates and depreciates the integral infrastructure of our society which creates a cultural lapse through the declination of economic and cultural growth and double jeopardizes an already unstable system to the brink of its destruction. To understand how
The United States Department of Justice defines Identity Theft and Fraud as, “… terms used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain” (U.S. Department of Justice, 2012). An individual’s personal data such as: Social Security number, bank account information, credit card numbers, or telephone calling card number¬ may be used by criminals to personally profit at your expense. In many cases, a victim's loss not only includes out-of-pocket financial losses, but substantial additional financial costs and time repairing and correcting credit histories and erroneous information. To assist with my research for this paper, I chose two books written from different perspectives. First, I sought out a book to provide a comprehensive review of identity theft history; methods used to steal identities, consequences of having your identity stolen, and prevention techniques from an individual or business perspective. Next, after developing a strong baseline on identity theft, I searched for a reference book which offers a comprehensive review of the concepts of computer crimes, relevant laws, and methods practiced by investigators to trace, capture and persecute identity theft