DOJ: Identity Theft Not a Priority
A Department of Justice report states that although identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States it is not an agency priority. The DOJ uses its limited resources to identity links to identity theft when investigating other crimes. The chief enablers of identity theft is the reliance on the Social Security Number for granting new credit, abuse of credit card information that may be shared during legitimate transactions, or theft of credit cards from victims. In 2009, it is estimated that 10 million Americans fell victim to identity theft crimes. Domestic abuse victims face a particular threat from abuser who may use identity theft to damage the credit of abuse victims, which may limit their options for leaving abusive relationships
Fighting identity theft not a priority, report says, By Terry Frieden, CNN Justice Producer
March 31, 2010 3:59 p.m.
