By Leslie HackettStaff Writer
Writing a personal check, entering your Social Security number onGradeLine or ordering merchandise off of the Internet are all actionsone might take for granted.
However, everyday actions like these could increase your risk ofbecoming the next victim of identity theft.
According to the FBI, identification thieves only need a name,Social Security number and birth date — all easily found on driver’slicenses, personal checks and unsolicited credit card offers, inorder to carry out such a crime.
The FBI reports identity fraud is one of the fastest-growingwhite-collar crimes in the nation. More than 700,000 people becamevictims of identity theft in 2000, and the number has been increasingan average of 30 percent to 40 percent each year.
San Diego State junior Kara Holman is just learning about theramifications of identity theft.
When Holman recently tried to set up a phone number a few monthsago, the phone company told her that she wouldn’t be able to do sountil she paid an outstanding bill amounting to more than $900 fromthe previous year for a cell phone.
Holman was confused when she found out the address on the bill wasfor a place where she had never lived.
“I called my parents and they got in touch with the frauddepartment,” Holman said. “The fraud department said thousands ofcollege students are victims of identity theft.”
Figuring out exactly what happened has become a task for Holman,who said that it’s not easy trying to clear things up, and at thistime, she really doesn’t know how the fraud happened.
The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 wascreated when the government recognized the seriousness of identityfraud and the long-term effects it had on its victims. The actcriminalized fraud in connection with the unlawful theft and misuseof personal identifying information, regardless of whether it appearsin documents.
Violation of the provisions of this act can result in imprisonmentof up to 15 years or fines, or both.
“Identity theft is a high-profit, low-risk, low-penalty crime,”Linda Foley, director of San Diego-based Identity Theft ResourceCenter, wrote in an article for The San Diego Union-Tribune lastAugust. “Thieves see this crime as the smart way to make money.”
Political science senior Malika Qadr feels that identificationtheft is a very scary crime. She said that she’s not too concernedabout it happening to her, but she is more aware of who she releasesher personal information to.
“Some people are really afraid of it,” said Qadr about customersgiving out information at the rental car office where she works.
Last month, Foley addressed the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommitteeon Technology, Terrorism and Government Information in support ofidentity theft legislation solutions.
The Federal Trade Commission has launched a three-part initiativeto help consumers combat identity theft.
The three different parts of the program now include a toll-freenumber, which victims of identification theft can call to report acrime, an online consumer complaint form and a strong message toconsumers on how to protect themselves against this form of fraud.
If you feel you are a victim of identity theft, file a complaintonline at www.consumer.gov/idtheftor contact the FTC’s hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT.
