Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act


CITATION	18 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq.
ENACTED	1998
SUMMARY	This law makes identity theft a federal crime. It designates the individual whose identity was stolen as the true victim. Previously, only the credit grantors who suffered monetary losses were considered victims. This legislation enables the Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other law enforcement agencies to combat this crime. It allows for the identity theft victim to seek restitution if there is a conviction. It also establishes the Federal Trade Commission as a central agency to act as a clearinghouse for complaints, (against credit reporting agencies and credit grantors).
DATA COVERED	The law aims at protecting the public from identity theft. The law focuses on information that can be involved in identification documents and can, therefore, facilitate identity theft.
INDUSTRY	Consumer
PENALTIES	Imprisonment up to 15 years and monetary fines up to a maximum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000).