Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crime problems in our country. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that 43% of all fraud complaints received in 2002 involved identity theft. When it strikes you, it is hard to know where to turn. Our purpose here is to provide you with background information and to suggest some useful resources. We hope these help if your identity is stolen.

To see specific information concerning trends in the State of Indiana, see www.consumer.gov.

What is Identity Theft?

Under Federal law, identity theft is defined as when a person "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..." 18 U.S.C. § 1028(a)(7).

Click here for Information on Current Identity Theft Scams.

Law enforcement has a very broad view, and characterizes several types of crimes as identity theft. Some of these include:

• Lost or stolen credit cards
• Credit cards not received in the mail
• Counterfeit credit cards
• Fraudulent use of account numbers
• Account takeovers
• Fraudulent applications for accounts or credit cards
• Filing false tax returns
• Obtaining false identification for the purpose of committing crimes
• Passport fraud
• Bankruptcy fraud
• Employment fraud schemes
• Mortgage or other fraudulent loans
• Telecommunications or utilities fraud
• Social Security benefits fraud
• Money laundering
• Insurance fraud
• Education degree and educational loan frauds

Many financial institutions define identity theft in more narrow terms. They define identity theft as an incident where a person's identifying information is stolen and then used to:

• Fraudulently establish credit
• Take over existing accounts (credit cards, checking, savings, money markets, etc.)

How Identity Theft Occurs

There are many methods to commit identity theft:

• Theft of a wallet containing personal identification, checks or credit cards
• Theft of mail containing personal identifying information
• Observing people in public places who are using their identification
• Internet sources
• Public record information, such as birth, death, marriage or divorce information
• Theft of information from the workplace
• Scamming information from consumers, usually over the internet or telephone, by posing as legitimate companies or government agencies
• Rummaging through residential or business trash for personal data

Click here for Tips on Preventing Identity Theft.

Click here for Information on Reporting Identity Theft.