subject: Ways The Id Theft Deterrence Act Can Aid Victims Of Fraudulent Activity [print this page] According to studies done by Gartner Inc only one in seven hundred people who commit identity theft are ever caught and brought to justice. In Oregon recently it seems like they may have caught the one.
Associate Press News Service reported one one identity theft criminal that arrived at a local bank to cash a check. What makes this story so bizarre is the thief was caught by the person he had been victimizing. It appears they were in the bank to dispute the bogus charges which were on their financial statement.
Unfortunately for many others who have had their identity stolen there's no chance of them coming face to face with the thief and by some miracle apprehending them. Identity theft continues to be a crime that affects millions every year. While things like check fraud are on the decline others such as phishing websites have reached an all-time high. The innovations in technology are making identity fraud a whole lot easier.
The ability to steal personal information has also reached cell phone users where downloading certain apps can result in sensitive data you've stored in your phone getting hijacked and sent to remote servers where thieves are waiting to record that information such as online banking logins and password.
The good news is there are resources out there which the consumer has at his or her's disposal. In 1998 The United States Congress passed into law the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act. This law made identity fraud a federal crime and with it comes stiffer punishment any time identity theft criminals are caught and found guilty.
In addition it placed the Federal Trade Commission at the forefront of battling identity fraud. The FTC and in particular their internet site is filled with information and facts including preventions tips, video and news item updates. Over the past decade they've done an impressive job in their work to educate the public at large on just how engraved this particular crime has become in our society and the steps required to protect from it.
A major feature was the creation of the Identity Theft Clearinghouse data bank. This is an on line repository designed to aid local and federal law enforcement officials. Any complaints about identity theft are automatically entered into the data bank which is updated consistently.
One other thing this law has done to help consumers with any credit issues they may have trouble resolving. Even when they are fully aware you've been the victim of identity fraud credit reporting agencies for reasons all their own are still slow moving with regards to eliminating it from your personal records. This process can sometimes get expedited once you have the United States government backing you up.
