Perspectives on Identity Theft (Crime Prevention Studies)

There has been a glaring lack of scholarly attention to the crime of identity theft, according to the editors. The nine chapters in this volume attempt to fill some of this gap by exploring theory and research on identity theft, as well as situational measures to prevent its occurrence. The editors introduction outlines several key issues related to the definition, extent, and commission of identity theft. The chapter by Graeme Newman applies the opportunity perspective to the study of identity theft. Megan McNally uses the script approach to examine the meaning and mechanics of identity theft in all of its forms. Henry Pontell Gregory Brown and Anastasia Tosouni present new findings on how identity theft affects victims, based on data collected by the Identity Theft Resource Center. Heith Copes and Lynne Vieraitis describe how a sample of identity theft offenders viewed their crimes. Michael Levi recounts the evolution of identity fraud and its control in the U.K. Russell Smith presents a framework for evaluating preventive measures, particularly document-based systems, biometric technologies and identity cards. Sara Berg considers how information technology can be used within a situational crime prevention framework to fight identity theft. Robert Willison examines the use of situational crime prevention to protect sensitive personal information in the context of information systems security.