Identity theft is dangerous in that a thief can steal your identity and use it to do things in your name, including not only taking money from your accounts or charging money to it but even committing crimes. However, you can use the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act to protect your identity. Passed in 1998, this act was formed to counter the increasing cases of identity theft in the United States.
The text of this act states that identity theft is a federal crime. This includes “using the identification of another individual with the intention of committing or aiding any unlawful activity.†Before the act was passed identity theft was simply defined as depictive creation of personal information and the transfer of this information. The theft of the information was not covered, but this new act covers it. It makes preventing identity theft a priority.
The act is an important one for preventing identity theft in that it increases the punishments that one would get if identity theft is committed. For instance, if the act of identity theft involves using the information of another person to get anything over a thousand dollars in value over the course of a year the thief will be imprisoned for a maximum of three years.
Some crimes will have heavier sentences. If the identity theft involves unauthorized use of one's birth certificate, driver's license or any other document that is used for identification the thief will be sentenced for up to fifteen years in prison.
The most serious crime of identity theft according to this act involves identity theft for criminal activity. If any identity theft activities are done to support drug trafficking activities or terrorist activities the person will be sentenced for at least twenty years in prison.
The last part of the act involves the aid that you would receive if your identity is stolen. All complaints of identity theft will go to the Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse, which is run by the Federal Trade Commission. This database was created to help with aiding law enforcement agencies with the intention of helping them to handle identity theft cases with ease. What makes this helpful is that all groups, including credit card companies, banks and police districts will be able to get the same information needed to handle the problem of identity theft.
The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act is something that works with not only preventing identity theft but also to help you in the event that your identity is ever stolen. There are stronger punishments for identity theft, and it is also useful to help handle any cases of identity theft you may have. Be sure to talk with your lawyer for more information on this act.
