Identity Theft

Victims of identity theft are citizens who have had bank accounts wiped out, credit histories ruined, and jobs and valuable possessions taken away. In some cases, they have even been arrested for crimes they did not commit. The financial toll exacted by identity theft can be crippling, and the emotional trauma can be as devastating as many of the most violent offenses. Far from being a victimless crime, identity theft has profound and often tragic consequences for those affected by it.

Publications

• A National Strategy to Combat Identity Theft
• Expanding Services To Reach Victims of Identity Theft and Financial Fraud
• Problem-Oriented Guides for Police:  Identity Theft
• NCJRS In the Spotlight – Identity Theft
• NIJ Identity Theft - A Research Review
• OVC Identity Theft page
• Report of the BJS/SEARCH National Focus Group on Identity Theft Victimization and Criminal Record Repository Operations
• Justice Resource Update, Spring 2006, Resources for Fighting Identity Theft
• Justice Resource Update, Winter 2005, Helping Victims of Identity Theft

Press Releases

• Department of Justice Provides $1.7 Million to Help Victims of Identity Theft and Fraud
• The President's Identity Theft Task Force Release Comprehensive Strategic Plan to Combat Identity Theft
• Fact Sheet:  The Department of Justice's Efforts to Combat Identity Theft
• Fact Sheet:  The Work of the President's Identity Theft Task Force

Research/Statistics

• Bureau of Justice Statistics, Victims of Identity Theft, 2008
• Bureau of Justice Statistics, Identity Theft Reported by Households, 2007 - Statistical Tables
• Bureau of Justice Statistics, Identity Theft, 2005
• Bureau of Justice Statistics, Identity Theft, 2004
• NCJRS In the Spotlight – Identity Theft Facts and Figures

Resources

• Free Annual Credit Report
• Identity Theft Victim Assistance Online Training:  Supporting Victims' Financial and Emotional Recovery
• FTC Consumer Information:  Identity Theft
• DOJ Criminal Division, Fraud Section Identity Theft
• National White Collar Crime Center
• NetSmartz
• Ohio Attorney General Identity Theft
• OVC Directory of Crime Victim Services
• OVC HELP for Victim Service Providers Web Forum