In Identity Theft News This Week: Verizon Phishing Scams and Supreme Court Decisions
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It has been a very busy week for identity thieves as well as for the laws used to protect us from them. Verizon Customers Beware of Emails Bearing Account Information News * Username: Another version of the current Verizon Phishing scam simply provides a link to a site that you sign into, Of course that means you have now giving these thieves all they need to know about your Verizon account. Not only does this provide information to important account information but can also lead to Cell Phone Tapping: The Scary Truth about this Techno Crime. Verizon customers, Report and delete this message. Follow Up to Supreme Court Takes another Look at Federal Identity Theft Law The Law under Review: Justice John Paul Stevens, just one of the justices concerned about the interpretation of the law by the government, said, "There's a basic problem here." He added, "You get an extra two years if it just so happens that the number you picked out of the air belonged to somebody else." The federal government was not only adding additional time to sentences for immigrants using identities that were stolen, but also using these convictions as a means for deportation. The question is should someone who unknowingly uses a fake identity that in the end belongs to someone else be given harsher punishments than someone who simply uses a fake identity? Immigrants have no way of knowing that these identities that they purchase belong to someone else. The Supreme Court agrees with defense attorneys that argue that there must be proof that the person charged with a crime (defendant) knew the social security number actually belonged to another person, in order to receive harsher penalties. They decided that if "a person is arrested for the federal crime of aggravated identity theft for possessing or using a fake social security card, the government must prove that the defendant knew the social security number belonged to another person." As a result, if there is no proof that the thief was aware that the identity belongs to someone else, the punishment is less harsh. For example, if Uncle Joe applies for a credit card or job using your or your child's social security number that you gave him to set up a so called guardian account then his penalty would be more severe than someone who is simply using what they thought was a randomly generated Social Security number. After all he knew he was "borrowing" a current Social Security Number. As identity theft and fraud becomes an ever increasing concern it is good to see that both companies and the law are making efforts to keep up with the increases in and new methods of phishing scams and financial frauds that take place daily with protection and punishment.
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