This project addresses the problem of identity fraud and law enforcement's (LE) role in detecting, preventing, and responding to this crime. Specifically, how can policy-informed technology enable LE to better manage victim reports and investigations and effectively inform the prosecution of Internet-related identity fraud crime (ID fraud)?
In accomplishing its goals, this project involves technologies, methodologies, and policies that shape the processing, presentation, and geospatial analysis of Internet-related ID fraud. LE operations are an information-intensive process in which government agencies are called upon to collect and interpret large data sets in an effort to serve and protect the public, while at the same time maintaining trust and reliability in fulfilling its mission. LE has, thus far, encountered technical, managerial, and socio-legal barriers to capturing, integrating, correlating, and interpreting ID fraud data between sources on the Internet and traditional LE databases. To address these needs, this project is developing a model framework for the management, analysis, and visualization of ID fraud data residing in standalone LE databases and the Internet. The implications of crafting a transparent, replicable, and objective framework for ID fraud knowledge management and information sharing include a critical understanding and prediction of the impact of this nascent threat to society, as well as a subsequent capability to efficiently process and resolve these cases. The significance of this project will extend beyond the pilot region to include other LE agencies and public–private partnerships, demonstrating how to leverage the strengths of public, private, and academic communities toward a better collective whole. (Published abstract provided)