Creditnet News Story
Wisconsin prosecutors to pursue more identity theft charges
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
By Danielle Robson
Given the rise of crimes in which people's identities are stolen, it was only a matter of time before prosecuting attorneys began doling out harsher identity theft charges.
In Wisconsin, prosecutors have vowed to be more aggressive in using the state's identity theft laws to impose harsher sentences upon offenders. According to the Wisconsin Law Journal, this has stirred a bit of a controversy from defense attorneys who think identity laws are too broadly used as it is.
One defender told the publication that some charges that used to carry light sentences, like stealing a credit card and using it at a store, have seen the gravity of sentences increase dramatically under this new directive.
However, one district attorney said that the state evaluates intent by an offender and the amount of damage to the victim, be it financial or otherwise, when determining what charges to pursue.
A recent article from Biz Report said that many consumers are unaware of just how much their online behavior puts them at risk for identity theft, including social network users who had been victimized by identity thieves in the past.
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