Pet the United States Department of Justice, identity theft refers to a number of different crimes in which individuals wrongfully obtain and use personal information for the purpose of financial gain. There are a number of ways this crime is committed, resulting in vastly different makeup of one case to another. Identity theft can include everything from dumpster diving to wire fraud. If you have been arrested for identity theft, you may be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Trade Commission, or the fraud division of the Department of Justice.
Identity theft is committed when an individual or a group uses another person’s Social Security number, their bank account number, credit card number, or other identifying information in an attempt to commit fraud. For example, an individual can be accused of identity theft after using another person’s credit card information to purchase plane tickets. Individuals can also be accused of committing other crimes under the guise of someone else’s identity. Someone accused of identity theft may also be accused of causing noneconomic damages such as the damage to someone’s reputation. Identity theft has only been a federal offense since 1998.
According to 18 United States Code § 1028, the penalty for identity theft is 15 years maximum imprisonment, fines, and forfeiture of personal property used to commit the offense.
Listed below are some of the most common types of identity theft and fraud:
Anyone can report fraud, which is why there is the possibility of false accusations. If you have been accused, then you are going to need a strong defense to combat your charges. Secure the representation of a San Francisco federal crime lawyer from Okabe & Haushalter. Our firm is no stranger to large, complex cases; we have even been involved in high profile cases such as the O.J. Simpson trial. You can trust our experience in the field to fight effectively for you.
