Identity Theft Thesis

Identity theft has been at the forefront as a societal problem for several years. The public has been made aware of the dangers of identity theft, particularly to personal and financial security. Many studies have been completed concerning the size and scope of victimization. The government, credit card and other financial service industries have responded by putting tighter controls in place. On the other hand, the insidious threat of identity fraud has not been similarly acknowledged. Both the public and private sectors must understand and confront the enormity of the identity fraud problem so that it can be solved. Identity fraud, which encompasses identity theft, is the use of false identifiers, false or fraudulent documents, or a stolen
identity in the commission of a crime. It often emanates from a breeder document created from fictitious or stolen identifiers. The breeder document, such as a driver’s license or birth certificate, is used to spawn other documents, resulting in the creation of a credible identity which allows a criminal or terrorist access to credit cards, employment, bank accounts, secure facilities, computer systems, and the like. Once a criminal or terrorist has an established identity, he can use it to facilitate a variety of economic crimes, drug trafficking, terrorism, and other crimes.