|
You don't have any friends or family members who would steal your identity, do you?
...Or DO you?
According to a recent study conducted by the non-profit Institute for Fraud Prevention (IFP), your friends, family and small-time thieves are the leading suspects when identity theft is reported. The IFP is a global research institute dedicated to reducing the causes of fraud and corruption.
The study was conducted by Professor William Kresse of St. Xavier University in Chicago, who was assisted by the Chicago Police Department. The study concludes that ID theft is overwhelmingly a "blue collar crime." The most popular use for a stolen identity, it indicated, was to gain access to mobile-phone service or perform some type of credit card fraud.
Data compiled from approximately 30,000 identity theft cases from 2000-2006 was studied, and the report was based upon data from 1,322 randomly selected cases. In 60% of the cases, the victim could identify the thief. Surprisingly, the identity thief was a relative, a friend, or a person known to the victim in some way. Although identity theft is considered a "high tech" crime, the victim's identity was stolen by use of the computer or internet in only 5% of the cases, the report said.
The research also found that:
- Fewer than 10 percent of identity theft victims discovered the theft by viewing a credit report
- Almost one in five victims first heard of the identity theft when they received a collection notice or were served with a legal process
- Most victims became aware of the theft only after being notified by credit card companies
Policy recommendations are being made as a result of the study. It has been proposed to create a national database for identity theft. This would aid law enforcement as do current databases for murder, robbery, theft, etc.
The study also asserts that "policies that encourage victims of identity theft to report incidents of identity theft to police authorities should be adopted." Other ideas include both general and targeted public education programs to help spread awareness of identity theft risk factors.
The published results of the study may be found at this website under the Recent Studies heading.
The IFP is a coalition of domestic and international universities dedicated to multi-disciplinary research, education and prevention of fraud and corruption. Its primary goal is to improve the ability of business and government to combat these crimes and to educate the public on effective methods of recognizing and deterring them. The IFP is funded by contributions from its members: the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Grant Thornton LLP, and D-Quest, Inc. It also receives intellectual support and assistance from various government, academic, public and private organizations.
|
Full Newsletter
