Stages of Identity Crime

When initiating an investigation of identity crime, it may be helpful to consider the four major stages of the crime:

Crime Stage	What Happens	What the victim May/May Not Notice
Victim’s information is collected by the criminal (theft)	Victim’s personal information and identity are compromised.	Lost wallet, purse, credit card, driver’s license, luggage, passport, etc. Credit card, mortgage, bank statement or other bill missing from or never received in the mail Had wallet or purse stolen, car/house broken into Personal computer security has been compromised Company that had its data breached notifies the victim
Criminal converts that information	Information becomes new false identity.	No noticeable event
The information is passed along	The victim’s identity is attached to a new individual.	Not noticeable until used
The new identity is put to use (fraud)	The identity is used for committing fraud and other crimes.	Contacted by debt collectors Funds are missing from checking or savings accounts Fraudulent charges on credit cards, etc. New accounts they did not open appear on their credit report, or they receive the bills Arrested for crime they didn’t commit

When initiating an investigation of identity crime, it may be helpful to consider the four major stages of the crime:

Crime Stage

What Happens

What the victim May/May Not Notice

Victim’s information is collected by the criminal (theft)

Victim’s personal information and identity are compromised.

Lost wallet, purse, credit card, driver’s license, luggage, passport, etc.
Credit card, mortgage, bank statement or other bill missing from or never received in the mail
Had wallet or purse stolen, car/house broken into
Personal computer security has been compromised
Company that had its data breached notifies the victim

Criminal converts that information

Information becomes new false identity.

The information is passed along

The victim’s identity is attached to a new individual.

The new identity is put to use (fraud)

The identity is used for committing fraud and other crimes.

Contacted by debt collectors
Funds are missing from checking or savings accounts
Fraudulent charges on credit cards, etc.
New accounts they did not open appear on their credit report, or they receive the bills
Arrested for crime they didn’t commit