Flim-flams and Identity Scams
Part I: Understanding and responding to identity crime
Identity crimes remain the fastest growing criminal offense in the United States. North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper estimates that more than 300,000 North Carolinians spend an average of $800 and 175 hours over 23 months to repair damage to their credit caused by identity thieves. The U.S. Secret Service defines identity crime as “the theft or misuse of personal or financial identifiers in order to gain something of value and/or facilitate other criminal activity.”
Types of Identity Crime
- Identity Theft
- Credit Card/Access Device Fraud (Skimming)
- Check Fraud
- Bank Fraud
- False Identification Fraud
- Passport/Visa Fraud
The Identity Theft Protection Act (Senate Bill 1048) was enacted in fall 2005 by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Mike Easley. Beginning December 1, 2005, this new legislation announced by the Attorney General protects North Carolina consumers. The legislation gives consumers the ability to “freeze” their credit accounts with the three major credit-reporting bureaus, thereby preventing thieves from opening new accounts using the owners’ names.
How does it happen?
New techniques are being devised every day to steal personal information and methods are limited only by the individual criminal’s imagination. Common ways a citizen may be victimized include:
- Ordering items from unsecured Web sites.
- Failing to shred bank and credit card statements, receipts, insurance and medical records before discarding them.
