Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend time and money cleaning up the mess the thieves have made of their good name and credit record. They may lose out on job opportunities, and loans for education, housing, or cars. They may even get arrested for crimes they didn’t commit.

You can utilize the links below to learn about Identity Theft prevention and to report suspected criminal activity.

Federal Trade Commission
http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft/

Identity Theft Prevention and Survival
http://www.identitytheft.org/index.htm

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
http://www.privacyrights.org/identity.htm

U.S. Department of Justice
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html

CALPIRG: Privacy Rights and Identity Theft Campaign
http://calpirg.org/CA.asp?id2=3981&id3=CA&

Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act

In October 1998, Congress passed the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 (Identity Theft Act) to address the problem of identity theft. Specifically, the Act amended 18 U.S.C. § 1028 to make it a federal crime when anyone:

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.

Violations of the Act are investigated by federal investigative agencies such as the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by the Department of Justice.