Identity Theft

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
Unfortunately, in this case, authorities have been unable to catch the person who has raided the life of an innocent person. As can be seen in this case, catching an identity thief can prove to be a very difficult task. Although there is no sure-fire way to fully protect yourself from having your identity stolen, there are many steps that can be taken to protect it from happening. Another case of stolen identity involves an attorney from Orange County, California, named Mari Frank. One day, out of nowhere, she received a call from The Bank of New York in Deleware. "The Bank of New York in Delaware called to ask why I had not paid my $11,000 credit card bill," Frank said. "I didn't have a credit card from that bank, and I certainly hadn't charged $11,000. No one had stolen my wallet, and I had always been careful with confidential documents. I just kept asking -- how could this have happened?" As we have seen in the previous case involving Rosalie Pugliese, identity theft is a crime that is becoming easier and easier to commit. Unlike the case involving Pugliese, where the criminal was never found, police were able to track down the thief who invaded the life of Mari Frank. "The police searched the thief's mailing address, and found billing statements in my name from various creditors, letters from collection agencies, a letter from a rental car company threatening to sue for damages to a vehicle she'd rented, checks, and my own business cards that she'd