Identity Theft

Overview >> Why does this happen?

Carelessness of credit card grantors

Credit grantors, by way of their competitive zeal, make it all too easy to for identity thieves obtain credit in another's name by not adequately checking identities of applicants before granting credit. Instant credit opportunities are especially popular with identity thieves for this reason.

Ease of obtaining personal information

Unfortunately, identity thieves can easily obtain the information needed, especially Social Security numbers.

Increase of internet use

Perpetrators act as hackers who intercept personal information while victims are online, either through website entry or through phony e-mails in which they disguise themselves as legitimate firms attracting victims to do business with them.

Weakness of law enforcement

Identity theft receives less attention from law enforcement compared to other crimes. Identity thieves fear no repercussions and are rarely apprehended or severely penalized, since law enforcement resources are not yet sufficient to investigate the majority of identity thefts.