Originally published June 29 2005
Identity theft difficult to track and prosecute
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Because identity thieves are often migratory and (given the nature of their crimes) elusive, police are finding them difficult to track and prosecute.
If you fall victim to identity theft, the following steps are recommended to reduce the harm of further fraud and help catch the party responsible.
"You can see the storm clouds building," said Marshfield Police Department Lt.
The very definition of identity theft creates many barriers that often hinder police, the courts and banks from bringing criminals to justice, they said.
Perhaps the most difficult is the migration of the thieves, who cross several jurisdictions in the commission of their crimes.
The biggest challenges facing law enforcement are identifying the thief and then figuring what he or she can be charged with in your jurisdiction, said Portage County District Attorney Tom Eagon.
Since prosecutors can only charge people with crimes committed in their jurisdictions, Eagon said, other counties have to decide to file charges against a criminal who uses stolen information from across a large area.
When the perpetrator of an identity theft scam resides in a foreign country, Laessig said, the chances that the other government will prosecute on behalf of victims in the United States aren't good.
In a crime perpetrated through telephone lines, computers, other electronics and the mail, identity theft cannot be prevented by having officers patrol an area or install alarms like other property crimes.
Michael Lensmire, an accountant for Clifton Gunderson LLP in Stevens Point, is one of the area's few certified fraud investigators.
He recommends individuals close out unused credit cards, request a credit report and routinely change their PIN numbers and passwords.
Online bill payment usually is more secure than mailing checks, Lensmire said, since mail can be stolen before it reaches its destination, and personal checks contain information criminals use to get new credit cards or drain bank accounts.
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