Identity theft solutions focus much too much on authenticating the person. Whether it’s two-factor authentication, ID cards, biometrics, or whatever, there’s a widespread myth that authenticating the person is the way to prevent these crimes. Identity theft can happen anytime, anywhere, to anyone. Identity fraud has become a huge concern in today’s new age and even though precautions have been taken to correct the situation there has not been much success. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the U.S., claiming more than 10 million victims a year. The FBI is working with its partners–private sector companies, regulatory agencies, and other law enforcement organizations–to curb identity fraud (see Monday’s story ).

Identity theft is a growing problem, with more than one in four people claiming that they have either been a victim of the crime or know someone who has. By stealing your identity, someone can illegally apply for a passport or a credit card. Identity theft and abuse on social media sites can do a lot more damage and should be better addressed by the services. Identity theft specific laws are those that were designed and enacted to criminalize the act of identity theft. False Identification laws deal specifically with fraud in connection with personal identifying documents.

Identity theft causes two distinct types of harm to its victims. The first is direct financial loss. Identity theft has recently been ranked by law enforcement agencies and consumer organizations as one of the fastest growing crimes in America. The Consumer Research Institute is providing this ebook to help educate consumers and give them effective advice about stopping ID theft and Internet crimes. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. In 2005, identity theft complaints made up thirty seven percent (37%) of all fraud complaints in the United States. » Read the rest of the entry..

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