About Laws Governing Internet Identity Theft

If you have tried to grasp the laws about Internet identity theft you surely found yourself not finding too much constructive information about laws governing Internet identity theft. Why is that?

Geographic Identity Theft
Depending on where you are geographically, different laws govern your nation or state, and hence this is where the problem lies. If you are infuriated by the current statues involving identity theft online you have the right to be feeling this way. The concept of classifying laws pertaining to identity theft on the World Wide Web is so complex that little is known about the true nature of the protective legal measures available to us.

For example an identity thief in Great Britain may be phishing for personal information in Untied States. Since the criminal’s IP address is of an English origin differing laws may apply to the types of punishments available. In most cases identity theft rings tend to cover their tracks by routing their traffic through numerous servers and computers so they could remain untraceable. Therefore, the concept of law becomes ephemeral and turns into an opportunistic crime.

What if…
If you think you became a victim of identity theft you should contact the following entities:

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

You can call the FTC’s ID Theft Hotline-1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338) or use the FTC’s online ID Theft Complaint form. for up-to-date information about how to work with credit bureaus and law enforcement agencies to reclaim your identity visit the FTC website.

Social Security Administration (SSA)

for a replacement card; if your Social Security card was lost or stolen; a new Social Security number in certain circumstances; and help to correct your earnings records.

Office of the Inspector General, SSA,

to report Social Security number misuse that involves buying or selling Social Security cards, or may involve people with links to terrorist groups or activities.

Even though the laws are not clear cut you should find some salvage in the protection measures that are available to you by law.

Supporting Theory of Internet Identity Theft
When people are online they are more inclined to commit crimes without thinking too much about the ramifications and consequences of their deeds. For example downloading music via LimeWire or using copyrighted content for research projects constitutes a crime. However, the online world gives one an impression that everyone is doing it and no one is harmed. If taken further, this behavior easily starts turning into fraud, identity theft, extortion, terrorism, and etc. This, coupled with the lack of stern initiatives that support the laws, creates the notion that criminal endeavors on the Internet are quite lucrative. In the end, Internet identity theft is relatively easy to execute and the number of online criminals is tremendous due to the fact that laws are often considered just a distant concept to the digital criminal.