Useful Resources to Combat Identity Theft | Other Helpful Links
Identity theft is an increasingly prevalent crime that can wreak havoc on the financial affairs of its victims, and Arizonans are particularly vulnerable; according to the Federal Trade Commission, Arizona residents suffered over 38,000 cases of identity theft in 2011.
It occurs when someone fraudulently uses another person’s name, Social Security number, credit card number, or other personally identifying information to steal money from that person, or commit fraud or other crimes. An identity thief may, for example, open a credit card account in someone else’s name, use it to buy thousands of dollars worth of goods or services, and leave the victim with the bill or a ruined credit report. Or, the thief may steal someone’s medical information to obtain medical services or file insurance claims in the victim’s name. It can take victims sometimes hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to restore their good standing.
Congress has responded with a series of new measures meant to protect people’s personal financial information and crack down on identity thieves. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, which I supported and which became law in 2003, required merchants to delete all but the last five digits of customers’ credit card numbers from their store receipts, created a national fraud detection system, and allowed consumers to obtain one free credit report per year from each of the nationwide credit reporting agencies.
The Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, which I cosponsored and which became law in 2004, provided law enforcement with a series of new tools to combat identity theft, including:
- tough mandatory penalties for identity theft committed in connection with serious federal offenses, including terrorism;
- penalty enhancements that judges may impose on top of any underlying sentence;
- the addition of Social Security fraud and theft embezzlement by a bank officer to the list of crimes eligible for enhanced penalties; and
- new penalties for the possession of stolen or fraudulent identification with intent to commit unlawful acts.
The Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act, which became law in 2008 with my support, made it easier for prosecutors to bring cyber crime charges against criminals, made it easier for victims to win restitution, and directed the U.S. Sentencing Commission to consider increasing the penalties for identity theft, computer fraud, illegal wiretapping, or breaking into computer systems.
No law is foolproof, so as identity thieves continue to look for new ways to perpetrate their crimes, so, too, will Congress consider new legislation to fight them.
The Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Site is a one-stop resource where you can learn about the crime of identity theft. Consumers can learn how to avoid identity theft, and learn what to do if their identity is stolen. Businesses can learn how to help their customers deal with identity theft, as well as how to prevent problems in the first place. Law enforcement can get resources and learn how to help victims of identity theft.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center was developed through a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National White Collar Crime Center, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. It serves as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime, giving victims a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism to alert authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations. It provides law enforcement and regulatory agencies at the federal, state, local, and international levels a central referral mechanism for complaints involving Internet related crimes.
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