Identity theft: An overview of the problem

Abstract

Identity theft is becoming a prevalent and increasing problem within the United States. An identity thief only needs one thing - a Social Security Number; with it, he can decimate a victim's life and credit. Historically, federal laws in place to combat identity theft are weak and ineffective. Law enforcement, faced with jurisdictional and technological issues, is ill-equipped to deal with this. State and local law enforcement are forced to look to numerous federal agencies for help in combating this crime. It is difficult to determine the scope of this problem but initial figures show that identity theft has many different types of victims and financial targets. The ways in which identity theives victimize and prevention practices individuals can use to protect themselves are also examined. This article establishes a literature review on which future, and much needed, research can be based.