Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at
6:58 am
Identity theft is in the news for all the wrong reasons; seems like the newspapers, television and other media are all going overboard with reporting fresh instances of identity theft and this is enough to make an ordinary person sit up and wonder when they will become the next victim and if so what laws against identity theft are out there that will protect them.
Half A Million Victims
There is no other crime in the US with as high a growth rate as identity theft with more than half a million people becoming identity theft victims each year. Identity theft of course is a crime in which you have your personal information stolen and used by a thief who does not have your permission to use your personal data such as your Social Security Number and bank account number as well as credit card information.
What makes it all the more necessary to have laws against identity theft is the fact that a vast majority of identity theft cases are perpetrated by people that already know the victim. This in fact is good enough reason why the US Congress in the year 1998 enacted laws against identity theft such as the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act that specifically dealt with identity thefts.
This is one of the better laws against identity theft and one that mandates that identity theft be treated as a federal crime and which must be punished according to the guidelines set out by federal identity theft laws such as the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act.
This is one of those laws against identity theft that also defines identity theft and in this manner removes the ambiguity surrounding what constitutes identity theft. Prior to such a law against identity theft the federal laws only were concerned with addressing just the creation of fraud and also illegal use of a person’s identity document and it did not really deal with the actual theft or even crimes committed on the basis of the stolen identities.
With laws against identity theft such as the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act coming into force some of the lacunae in the laws in the country have been fixed and this has made life better for the victim and harder for the thief which is only fair.
Even former President George W. Bush realized the dangers to the ordinary citizen from identity theft and he too signed a new law against identity theft that would effectively provide greater protection against identity theft to the ordinary American.
Laws Against Identity Theft: Identity Theft And Assumption Deterrence Act, From The Love Shop
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at
6:48 am
The identity theft laws that are currently in force in the US are there to protect victims of identity theft. The fact of the matter is that identity theft is rampant, not only in the US but in the rest of the world as well and so it is necessary that governments enact stringent identity theft laws to protect their citizens. Even ordinary consumers are becoming more aware of the threat of identity theft which has peaked in the last decade or so. The media too has played no mean role in ensuring better awareness about the threat from identity theft and this in turn has certainly helped many people learn to not give out their personal information unless they are absolutely sure of who is receiving the information.
Public Outcry
The public outcry against identity theft has led to the federal and also state governments rushing to enact strict identity theft laws. For example, there is the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act that is a federal identity theft law that only came into effect in the year 1998 and which has ensured that identity theft be considered a felony.
Besides persecuting the identity theft this identity theft law also provides for compensating the victim and this reimbursement has been established under the auspices of the Federal Trade Commission. Furthermore, forty states throughout the United States have taken the lead given by the federal government by also passing various state identity theft laws that too have ensured that identity theft be treated as a crime.
Another useful identity theft law, the Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2000 was signed by Senators Kyl, Feinstein and Grassley each of whom wanted identity theft to be given more attention than it currently gets and these senators were also interested in finding out when to prevent identity theft and in what part of the identity theft law should these preventions belong.
Former President George W. Bush also lent his signature to the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act (ITPEA) which is one more identity theft law that helps protect the ordinary citizen and which punishes the identity thief. These identity theft laws treat identity thefts as felonies which carry a mandatory sentence of two years in jail and if the identity theft also can be linked to terrorist activity then the penalty would be a five year jail term.
It pays to make an effort to learn about various laws against identity theft because it would mean that you have taken an important step in fighting the fastest growing crime in the US – identity theft. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission states that as many as forty-three percent of all frauds reported to them were cases of identity theft. In the year 2003, there were as many as ten million instances which are why the right laws will protect you from major financial problems that are all related to identity theft.
Identity Theft Law: Criminalizing Identity Theft, From The Love Shop
Sunday, December 13th, 2009 at
6:45 am
If you are looking for assistance against consumer fraud and identity theft then it will certainly pay for you to check out TransUnion Fraud Victim Assistance Department which is dedicated to providing the consumer with help regarding all kinds of consumer fraud and identity theft. By checking out the information provided by the TransUnion Fraud Victim Assistance Department you will get answers to some commonly asked questions regarding consumer fraud and identity theft that will go a long way in helping you safeguard yourself from such crimes.
Getting Protection
The first question regarding consumer fraud and identity theft and which requires an adequate answer is how do you protect yourself against consumer fraud and identity theft and also how can you spot instances of such fraud. Fortunately, there are a number of methods available that can reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of consumer fraud and identity theft.
For example, you should know what to look for in your credit reports and also in different areas of finance where you need to look for signs that should make you suspect an instance of consumer fraud and identity theft.
In addition to learning how to get protection from consumer fraud and identity theft you also need to learn how to recover from such kinds of fraud. In this regard you will need to understand what measures need to be taken to restore your credit history and also your reputation.
Finally, it is also necessary to know your rights, especially in regard to how the law protects victims of consumer fraud and identity theft. These rights are spelt out by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act or FCRA that is designed to help promote greater accuracy and fairness as well as privacy of information for the files under the care of each consumer reporting agency. These consumer reporting agencies are mostly credit bureaus that collate as well as sell your personal information to employers, creditors and landlords and to other businesses.
Of course as a consumer you are provided certain specific rights by the FCRA and in addition your state too may also provide additional rights to ensure that you get complete protection against consumer fraud and identity theft. When it concerns learning about identity theft laws, each state has its own laws and in addition new legislations too are always being enacted to further protect ordinary citizens. In case there is no specific law in force, then the practices that are prohibited in other states will govern what the law states on the subject of identity theft.
Learning To Avoid Consumer Fraud And Identity Theft Is In Your Best Interests, From The Love Shop
