The Consequences Of Identity Theft

Laws help codify the values of a society, maintain order among the population, and protect citizens from being abused and harmed by dangerous criminals. However, recent technological trends have required the government to address the intensifying problem of identity theft. Because identity theft has become prevalent throughout the US society, many legal and criminal justice scholars have articulated the different types of identity theft and the consequences that the victims and offenders often experience. Identity theft relates to instances in which an offender steals and uses the information of a victim to fulfill criminal activities or acquire financial gains, the victims are often inflicted with detrimental financial losses and a damaged …show more content…
Criminal identity theft relates to instances in which the offender deliberately steals and uses the name of another person when managing affairs with the legal or criminal justice system. Upon committing the crime or being apprehended for the commission of the crime, the offenders provide law enforcement officials with the identity information of another person, including the name, birthdate, social security number, phone number and address of the victim. Many offenders who commit criminal identity theft assume the comprehensive identity of the victim by also printing driver’s licenses that display the face and physical attributes of the offender while deceptively providing the name and information of the victim. In many cases the offender is apprehended for a crime, presents the driver’s license and stolen identity information to the criminal justice system, and upon being released on bail the criminal can avoid returning to court or incurring punishment because the bench warrant is issued according to the name and identity of the victim. Additionally, criminals who already possess bench warrants often use the stolen identity when interacting with law enforcement officials to avoid being detected and apprehended for having an outstanding warrant. However, criminal identity theft also confronts the victims with detrimental repercussions. The name of the victim can be associated with dramatic …show more content…
The recent computer advancements and Internet technologies have enabled people to conduct financial activities and store personal information on their computers. However, many cyber criminals can conduct hacking activities to access the private information, use the information to harm the victim or achieve financial gains, and this technological trend has caused the rates of identity theft crimes to increase exponentially in the recent years. The identity theft crimes often entail offenders using the information of victims to commit criminal activities or fulfill financial transactions, the victims are often confronted with severe losses and legal complications, and the offenders can be punished with financial penalties or prison sentences. As a result, people should avoid placing private information on risky Internet websites and diligently check their information to maximize the security of their personal data and minimize their vulnerability to becoming victimized by identity