Wild, Wild Theft: Identity Crimes in the Digital Frontier

Abstract

Identity theft is a pervasive and expensive problem. Not only does the crime incur a significant financial and mental cost on the victim, but also exhibits a financial toll on the organizations that are swept up in the crime. Yet, while there is some research on the offender part of the identity theft problem, much less research has been devoted to identity theft victims and almost no research has examined victim attempts at remediation. This article examines how the use of a nonprofit victim service organization, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), affects the experiences of identity crime victims with respect to a variety of problems. Findings reveal that victims incur many problems related to identity theft, that many problems linger over time, and that some services are useful in helping them manage the crime’s after-effects.