Think Id Theft is a “victimless” crime? Think Again!
In the years that I have searched for the telltale signs of “identity vulnerability”, I’ve often peeked into some rather innocuous and predictable places.
We don’t like to think of this crime as a gritty, true crime. After all, ID theft isn’t as bad as a typical violent TV crime-drama crime is it?
In fact, a little known reality is that the victims of identity often feel the same impact and violation as victims of violent crime.
Last week, an Illinois jury sentenced Eric Hanson to death for the murder of his parents, sister and brother in law. The four were found dead in an upscale home in the nearby city of Aurora.
In addition to first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and armed robbery, Hanson was found guilty of identity theft. He was accused of stealing $80,000 from his parents in a credit card fraud scheme.
Hanson’s killing rampage began when his sister informed the family that he had ripped them off for the money in the credit card scam. Prosecutors claimed the convicted murderer and ID thief killed in a sick sad attempt to cover up his evil caper.
Statistics reveal that a large percentage of ID theft occurs within families. Scary eh?
