NCJ Number
176886
Date Published
1998
Length
63 pages
Annotation
Identity fraud is discusses with respect to prevalence, cost, Internet impact, and law enforcement responsibilities, based on a literature review, interviews with Federal and State officials, and interviews with representatives of credit bureaus and other private organizations.
Abstract
Results revealed that identity fraud may be an element in a variety of financial crimes, but no Federal agency has overall or primary jurisdiction for the investigation of such fraud. The lack of a standardized definition makes it difficult to track identity fraud, which can range from unauthorized use of a credit card to the total takeover of a person's identity. Comprehensive statistics do not exist on the prevalence of identity fraud, although Federal agencies such as the Secret Service, Social Security Administration, and Internal Revenue Service have limited statistics. An official with Associated Credit Bureaus, Inc., reported that credit fraud appears to have increased. Comprehensive estimates of the costs of identity fraud are not available. However, many officials said that Internet growth increases opportunities for criminal activity. Tables, figures, footnotes, and appended background information