They say that if you do the crime you do the time, but when it comes to ID theft - this might not always be the case. Many legal commentators have complained for years that the current system under which laws are based are obsolete, and outdated.
Unfortunately, because ID theft is a relatively new phenomenon throughout the world, with increasing prevalence after the invention of the Internet in the late 80s, laws have somewhat fallen behind in protecting victims and punishing ID theft offenders.
Criminal Punishments for ID Theft Offenders
To understand how the legal system works in relation to ID theft, it makes sense to look at the punishments which are imposed on people who are caught stealing personal details and using them for their own gain.
In America, depending on the severity of the details stolen (i.e. whether it is a name and address, or a bank account or Social Security number) offenders could face a prison sentence, a large fine, or a warning.
For victims, the most obvious choice of preference would be jail time, as the offenders would not be able to repeat their actions in a penitentiary. However, from a legal standpoint, jail time is reserved only for the most severe cases of ID theft - and unfortunately when it comes to these severe cases, the offenders are nowhere to be found.
Why ID Theft is often left Unsolved
For most crimes, a resolution comes in respect of the offender being caught and punished in a court of law. Usually, the victim is satisfied with this outcome.
However, when it comes to ID theft, most of the cases which occur to American citizens are never resolved. There are a number of reasons for this:
- Offenders often live outside the country - where different laws apply.
- There is no "shared legal arrangement" between developed and developing nations to deal with ID theft.
- Money is often siphoned off overseas, with no traces being left.
- By its very nature, ID theft is difficult to detect.
Unfortunately, the chance of catching the person who was responsible for stealing your identity is slim. It is much easier to prevent ID theft from happening in the first place, rather than picking up the pieces at the end of the day.