NCJ Number
184515
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 24 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2000 Pages: 26-29
Editor(s)
Dennis Hall
Date Published
July 2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Jurisdictional issues, investigative techniques, legal questions, and the categorization of identity theft all complicate a growing law enforcement problem associated with identity theft in the Internet age.
Abstract
Identity theft as a crime does not fit neatly into the existing theft laws of most States, as someone's identity has no clearly defined value. Further, jurisdiction in identify theft cases is not always easy to determine and depends on how and where personal information is obtained and and how and where false identification is used. The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 represents a positive step in preventing identity theft, but the law does not take into account thefts below the $50,000 to $100,000 threshold most U.S. attorneys use to determine if Federal prosecution should occur. Therefore, it is important that States have their own laws to allow local prosecution of identity theft cases. Steps police agencies and businesses can take to prevent identity theft are discussed, as well as procedures to follow in the investigation of such cases. The following specific suggestions for investigators are outlined: (1) Provide an incident report to the victim; (2) Have the victim request copies of his or her credit reports from major credit bureaus; (3) Obtain photographs or videotapes of the suspect or obtain the best possible physical description; (4) Identify the exact items obtained by the suspect; (5) Examine cellular telephone calls; (6) Steal the trash at the suspect's address to determine whether there may be additional victims; (7) Contact other law enforcement agencies and share case information; and (8) Develop probable cause for search and seizure warrants at target addresses. 3 photographs