Law enforcement officials say there are four types of identity theft:
• Financial ID Theft: This involves the theft and misuse of someone's name and Social Security number (SSN). The identity thief may apply for telephone service, credit cards or loans, buy merchandise, or lease cars or apartments using that stolen information;
• Criminal ID Theft: Criminals involved in this scheme give an identity theft victim's information instead of their own when stopped by law enforcement. When an arrest warrant is issued, it's in the name of the identity theft victim;
• Identity Cloning: This happens when criminals use an identity-theft victim's information to establish a new life. Those involved in this crime include illegal aliens and those avoiding warrants;
• Business or Commercial Identity Theft: This happens when identity thieves obtain credit cards or checking accounts in the name of a business. The business finds out when unhappy suppliers send collection notices or their business rating score is affected.
An Addict's Glossary
Law enforcement officials say identity thieves and methamphetamine users have their own language. Here are a few examples:
• Cranksters -- Meth users;
• Tweaker -- A methamphetamine abuser who probably has not slept in 3-15 days and is irritable and paranoid. According to Narconon Southern California, an inpatient drug and alcohol education and rehabilitation service, tweakers are considered the most dangerous type of meth abuser to medical personnel and law enforcement officers;
• Lurping -- A meth addict searching for anything he or she can sell or trade. It's also used to mean stealing anything that is not nailed down;
• Boogling -- This term means stealing mail in Utah. It can also mean stealing your credit card number by diving into dumpsters, looking over your shoulder, taking your mail and using camera phones to take a picture of your credit card;
Components of Identity Theft
Detective Byron Pierce of the Overland Park, Kansas, Police Department, says there are three components involved in identity theft.
They are:
• Collectors: These are the people solely responsible for collecting stolen information. These people may break into your car, or they might be a trusted employee inside a finance institution, a medical office, or anyone who has access to personal data;
• Converter: This is the person with the technology expertise. He or she has the computers, scanners and digital cameras used to make the fraudulent I.D. or checks;
• Passers: This person is often indigent or desperate for money. Collectors or converters will dress-up these individuals and send them out to buy merchandise, get credit cards, cash checks or open other accounts with the phony ID's.
"Ninety-percent of time, the person we arrest is the passer," Pierce says. "And that's the person who is usually standing on the corner, peddling drugs. He's the lowest person on the totem pole -- all he gets is paid. And when he is arrested, he's simply replaced. It doesn't affect the overall operation."
Next: What Can You Do?
