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Article: Identity Theft.(nature of the crime and how to prevent it)(Statistical Data Included)
- Article from:
- The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin
- Article date:
- August 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Federal Bureau of Investigation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A Fast-growing Crime
Criminals have evolved from picking pockets to using more sophisticated methods of theft. Today, thieves can steal personal information and use another person's identity to commit numerous forms of fraud. Identity theft, the criminal act of assuming another person's name, address, social security number, and date of birth in order to commit fraud, affects approximately 350,000 to 500,000 victims annually. [1] Fraud is intentionally deceiving a person or business in order to obtain property or some lawful right. [2] Identity theft differs from other forms of less calculated fraud. For example, a juvenile using someone else's driver's license ...