NCJ Number
234895
Date Published
2003
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video from the U.S. Department of Justice presents information on combating the problem of identity theft.
Abstract
This 23-minute video, produced by the United States Attorney's Office and the United States Trustee's Office in Los Angeles, is an educational video intended to raise awareness of the growing problem of identity theft. The video focuses on five questions: 1) What is identity theft; 2) How does an identity thief get a person's information; 3) How does an identity thief use a person's stolen information; 4) How can individuals protect themselves from identity theft; and 5) What should an individual do if they are a victim of identity theft? Each of these five questions is examined and the following information is provided: different types of identity theft; problems for individuals resulting from identity theft; a list of ways that an identity thief can obtain someone's information; different ways that stolen identities can be used; different ways for individuals to protect themselves against identity theft; and steps that should be taken when identity theft is discovered and who should be notified regarding the problem. A list of Federal statutes under which an identity thief can be prosecuted are discussed. The moderator of the video notes that it can take up to 1 year before identity is discovered and it can take up to several years for all the problems associated with the theft to be corrected.