What Happens to People Who Commit Identity Theft?
Identity theft has become a growing problem as of 2010, and as more and more people fall victim to it, harsher penalties are being created to deal with those who commit the crime.
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Definition
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Stealing someone's information is a serious crime. Identity theft can be defined as stealing someone's personal information without that person's permission or knowledge. This information can be anything from a credit card number to a social security number.
Legislation
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Laws were passed to help identify identity fraud. In 2003, in an effort to help protect consumers by detecting identity fraud, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act was passed. This act allows consumers to request a free credit report once a year from each of the three major credit reporting services.
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More Legislation
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Punishments were created to fit the crime. In an attempt to stem the tide of identity theft, The Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act was passed in 2004 to provide specific sentencing guidelines for identity theft crimes.
Prison
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An identity thief can expect to go to jail. The law outlines specific prison terms that coincide with different degrees of identity theft. Stealing someone's identity will land you in jail. Punishment can range from 5 to 30 years in federal prison depending on the severity of the crime.
Federal Crimes
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In addition, anyone convicted of committing identity theft in the process of committing a federal offense can expect additional jail time and harsher sentences. This is considered "aggravated identity theft."
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References
- Photo Credit digital identity black image by Nicemonkey from Fotolia.com a copy key: symbolic computer security and theft of digital data image by Stephen Gibson from Fotolia.com law courts image by Peter Helin from Fotolia.com crime examination (investigation) image by stassad from Fotolia.com prison image by Dubravko Grakalic from Fotolia.com
