Resources for Law Enforcement and Other Criminal Justice Agencies

Resources for Law Enforcement and other Criminal Justice Agencies

These resources have been organized into the following major areas to help law enforcement with identity crime:

Identity Crime—What It Is.

Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin—Identity Theft, 2004
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/it04.pdf
This bulletin reports analyses from the National Crime Victimization Survey on the rise of the problem, number of victims, and dollar costs associated with the crimes. In 2004, one in 33 households discovered at least one type of identity theft during the previous six months.

FACTA, The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act:
Consumers Win Some, Lose Some.
http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs6a-facta.htm
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act of 2003 (FACTA) added new sections to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA, 15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), intended primarily to help consumers fight the growing crime of identity theft. Accuracy, privacy, limits on information sharing, and new consumer rights to disclosure are included in FACTA. (Pub. L. 108-159, 111 Stat. 1952)

The Investigation: Guidance and Tools

Identity Crime: An Interactive Resource Guide (CD-ROM)
U.S. Secret Service
This CD-ROM provides a user-friendly, convenient tool to local and state law enforcement officials to increase understanding of identity crime, encourage them to combat this crime, and provide them with a comprehensive guide of both investigative and victim resources. This item is available to law enforcement personnel only. To obtain a copy, please contact the U.S. Secret Service Criminal Investigative Division at 202-406-9330.

Consumer Sentinel
www.consumer.gov/sentinel/index.html
This site offers tools to facilitate investigation and prosecution and to help spot trends. Users can get immediate access to Internet cons, telemarketing scams, other consumer fraud-related complaints, and complaints about fraud from consumers. Law enforcement agents can access Consumer Sentinel through an encrypted Web site to determine whether a reported scheme is local, regional, national, or cross-border.

Police Chief Magazine articles on identity crime
International Association of Chiefs of Police
Identity Theft and the Police Response: The Investigation.
This article, written by a fellow officer, gives clear guidance and advice about identity crime investigations.

Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse
Federal Trade Commission
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/law_invest.htm
This site includes the Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse - a national identity theft victim complaint database containing more than 815,000 complaints. It can help law enforcement:

  • Sign up for access to the clearinghouse.
  • Learn how to get a victim’s identity crime-related transaction records from creditors without first obtaining a subpoena.
  • Learn what Businesses Must Provide Victims and Law Enforcement with Transaction Records Relating to Identity Theft.
  • Use the Clearinghouse Alert feature to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies that may be investigating the same crime or suspect from other jurisdictions.
  • Use Auto Query to receive automatic notifications of new complaints about the crime target address and to eliminate the need for repeat searches.
  • Use the Clearinghouse to find law enforcement contacts that can aid in the investigation.

ID Theft Complaint Input Form
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/widtpubl$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU03
If a person believes he or she has been the victim of identity theft, he or she may use this form to send a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). What information an individual provides is up to him or her. However, if he or she does not provide a name or other information, it may be impossible for the FTC to refer, respond to, or investigate that complaint or request.

National White Collar Crime Center
www.nw3c.org
The NW3C provides a nationwide support system for agencies involved in the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of economic and high-tech crimes. Support includes:

White Collar Crime Training Program
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
http://www.fletc.gov/training/programs/computer-financial-investigations/
This Web site provides a training program that discusses the fundamentals that help identify sophisticated white-collar schemes. Participants will become aware of the variety of white-collar crime schemes perpetrated by criminals. They will also acquire the basic technical skills needed to successfully investigate financial crimes. The curriculum has three major areas:

  • Financial investigative techniques.
  • Legal issues.
  • Case development and presentation.

Training for Investigators – Michigan State Police
http://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,1607,7-123-1589_35832---,00.html
This site demonstrates a promising approach at the state police level. This unit investigates and assists federal and local law enforcement agencies with investigating criminal identity theft while providing victims with the resources available to prevent further victimization.

Identity Crime Laws and the Role and Responsibility of Law Enforcement

Identity Theft/Crime Legislation and Statutes
National Conference of State Legislators
This site provides summaries including:

Collected Identity Theft Laws—From the Federal Trade Commission
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/law_laws.htm
This site provides quick references to:

National Association of Attorney Generals—State Identity Crime Legislation
http://www.naag.org/issues/issue-cybercrime.php
Provides training on prosecuting cybercrime and access to NAAG’s Cybercrime Newsletter.

National Center for Prosecution of Identity Crime
National District Attorney’s Association
http://www.ndaa-apri.org/ncpic/ncpic_home.html
ID Theft Statutory Table (Adobe PDF)
Gives code sections identification, punishments that are prescribed, and whether there is a restitution provision in the ID theft statutes for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Helping Victims of Identity Theft

Helping Victims
Federal Trade Commission
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/law_help.htm
Describes actions that law enforcement can take to help a victim recover from identity crime.

Public-Private Alliances—Criminal Justice and Industry Join to Fight Identity Crime

Internet Crime Complaint Center—Public/Private Alliances
A partnership of the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center
http://www.ic3.gov/alliances.aspx
The association with industry partners allows the Internet Crime Complaint Center to capitalize on the information and intelligence received from industry partners to ensure significant cases are developed and referred to law enforcement in an expeditious fashion. The site describes profiles about alliances between industry and government that are a key component for making Internet e-commerce safer for consumers.

Joint Council on Information Age Crime
www.jciac.org
The JCIAC brings together experts and practitioners in law enforcement, private sector security, government and academia for information sharing, education and research on prevention and solutions to Information Age crime issues (e.g. Win Win Solutions for Public and Private Partnerships). It provides profiles about partnerships between public and private organizations that have successfully led to the prevention and solution of information age crimes.

A National Strategy to Combat Identity Theft - May 2006
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1732
Recently released document by the COPS office. This project identify common practices and to develop components that would comprise a national strategy for law enforcement.

Center for Identity Management and Information Protection
http://www.utica.edu/academic/institutes/cimip/
Utica College’s Center for Identity Management and Information Protection is a research collaborative dedicated to furthering a national research agenda on identity management, information sharing, and data protection. Founded in June 2006, its ultimate goal is to impact policy, regulation, and legislation, working toward a more secure homeland.

Federal Government’s Role in Identity Crime Investigations

Besides the agencies listed in other resource sections, several federal agencies have a role in identity theft prevention and crime investigation.

U.S. Postal Service
http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/idthft_ncpw.htm
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service needs to be informed and can be involved in the investigation when identity theft and crime involves the U.S. Mail. Locate the nearest office online.

U.S. Secret Service Financial Crimes Division
http://www.secretservice.gov/financial_crimes.shtml
This Secret Service unit investigates crimes associated with financial institutions. This jurisdiction includes:

  • Bank fraud.
  • Access device fraud involving credit and debit cards, telecommunications, and computer crimes,
  • Fraudulent identification.
  • Fraudulent government and commercial securities.
  • Electronic funds transfer fraud.

Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section
United States Department of Justice
www.cybercrime.gov
CCIPS attorneys provide advice to prosecutors on complex issues about computer search and seizure and online and other electronic evidence. CCIPS is also involved in the prosecution of cases involving violations of federal electronic privacy laws. The user can obtain the latest news from the U.S. Department of Justice on federal computer and intellectual property crimes.

2008 – Year of Preventing Identity Crime: Police Chief magazine articles on the topic

Issue Title and Link
Jun. 2008 Year of Preventing Identity Crime: Prevention Is the Best Protection for the U.S. Coast Guard's Ninth District
By Steve Lynch, Legal Assistance Attorney, Ninth Coast Guard District, Cleveland, Ohio		  
May 2008 Year of Preventing Identity Crime: The Need to Build on Public-Private Partnerships
By Howard Ommert, Vice President, Global Information Protection Business Continuity, Bank of America		  
Apr. 2008 Year of Preventing Identity Crime: A Forensic Approach to Effective Identity Theft Investigations
By Inspector Kevin McQuiggin, Forensic Services Section, Vancouver, British Columbia, Police Department 		 
Mar. 2008 Tips to Prevent ID Theft During Tax Season
Compiled by Liz Barton, Vice President; and Dana Higgins, Senior Vice President, Information Protection and Privacy, Bank of America 		 
Feb. 2008 Business Schools: A New Ally in the Fight against Identity Crime
By William Kresse, Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in Financial Fraud Examination and Management, Graham School of Management, Saint Xavier University, Chicago, Illinois; John Lucki, Detective Sergeant, Financial Crimes Investigation Section, Detective Division, Chicago, Illinois, Police Department; and Kathleen Watland, Assistant Professor and Director of Programs at the Chicago Police Academy, Graham School of Management, Saint Xavier University, Chicago, Illinois		  
Jan. 2008 It Can Happen to Anyone—Even Chiefs
By William Berger, Chief of Police, Palm Bay, Florida; and IACP Past President
  
  Identity Theft Victim Recovery Starts with Local Law Enforcement Agencies
By Joanna Crane, Identity Theft Program Manager, Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Bureau of Consumer Protection; and Jennifer Leach, Consumer Education Specialist, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 		 
Dec. 2007 When the Image in the Mirror Is No Longer You: Recovering from Identity Crimes
By Walter B. Donaldson, Certified Fraud Examiner, and Senior Vice President, Investigative Services, Bank of America 		 
Nov. 2007 The Partnership in Action
By Ron Green, Senior Vice President in Information Security, Bank of America		  
  The Spread of Identity Theft:Developments and Initiatives within the European Union By Nicole van der Meulen, Researcher, International Victimology Institute Tilburg, the Netherlands
  
  Thinking Differently About Filing Identity Theft Incidents
By Jonathan Fairtlough, Deputy District Attorney, Los Angeles County High Tech Crime Division, Los Angeles, CA		  
  A Metropolitan Approach to Identity Theft
By Robert F. Berardi, Sergeant, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Whittier, CA
  
  Identity Theft and Fraud Prevention Program
By David G. Bishop, Chief of Police, Beaverton, OR
  
  The National Crime Information Center, Identity Theft File
By Vernon M. Keenan, Director and Marsha O’Neal, Criminal Justice Information Systems Operations Manager, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Decatur, GA
  
May 2007 The World is Flat: The 21st Century Reality and What it Means to Law Enforcement
By Peter A. Modafferi, Chief of Detectives, Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, New City, NY
  
Mar. 2005 Identity Theft and the Police Response: The Investigation
By By Ed Dadisho, Sergeant, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles, California		  
Jan. 2005 Identity Theft and the Police Response: The Problem
By By Ed Dadisho, Sergeant, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles, California		  
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