I am very thankful - especially during this holiday season when identity theft seems so prevalent - that the United States congress and regulatory bodies such as the FTC had the foresight years ago to enact legislation and regulations which protect identity theft victims from any repercussions due to the theft. This brilliant article of legislation prevents the victim from having to take responsibility for any debt incurred by the thief and is so far-reaching that it prevents banks, collectors and any other institutions from profiting from the theft. One of the better parts of the law is the fact that it places the burden of identity theft on those very institutions themselves - and on the government itself.

As part of the law the government, its entities and the various financial and credit companies were forced to develop new and inventive yet un-intrusive technologies that will practically eliminate all identity theft - especially credit card and bank account theft - by 2010 as it is slowly phased in from its lengthy testing process.

Taking hint from numerous European countries, American lawmakers have finally written in law consumer protection which its citizens have been so thoroughly deserving of. Next up on this congresses' list? Consumers Rights and the restriction of corporate greed.

3.7%? Pathetic. Through the sending of discs by unregistered post and a police policy of arresting as many law-abiding citizens as possible for minor infractions (including children) in order to build up the DNA database, the British government must have stolen or misused the identity of at least half the population.

Those weirdos in America with their constitution and enshrined rights to self-defence against the government; they don't know how to run a country properly at all.

56% had no clue, so 44% should have given an indication. Unfortunately, only (16+8+2) 26% are reported as having given one. What did the rest say ?

Why can't they just call it Fraud! Cheque Fraud, Creditcard Fraud

Ten years ago, if someone faked cheques or creditcards or anything else, it was called Fraud.

When you call it Identity Theft (which is a pretty stupid definitition since your 'Identity' can never be stolen; only assumed; though in reality it is only ever 'borrowed' as you are fleeced and discarded when the creditcard expires/cancelled) you delude the people into thinking that they are dealing with a new crime that requires new laws and regulations.

In reality, the crime (fraud) is exactly the same; only the means (automation though computers) have changed.

Please El-Reg, stop calling it "Identity-Theft". It just glorifies the activity, fools the people and gives the government reason to treat it differently (hence ID cards).

I'd've thought the biggest and most expensive case of identity theft in US history was the rigged election(s) of G.W.Bush.

I saw a blog entry by an American this morning who had woken up to find her entire street's voter registration cards had been posted in her mailbox.

Most of the information that ID fraud criminals get is from the trash not the internet, or mailbox, what America needs are shredders and the will to use them.

If you click through to the Report, you'll see that on page 30 it shows the whole set of responses. So, 56% of all victims from 2001 - 2005 do not know how their information was stolen or by whom, 16% said it was someone they knew personally, 7% said it was stolen by the other person during a purchase or transaction, 5% said it was stolen from their wallet or purse, 5% said it was stolen from a copmany that had their information in its files, 2% said it was stolen from their mail, 1% said it was stolen by hacking into their personal computer, 1% said they divulged it in response to phishing, and 7% said some way other than the categories listed above, but not in a manner that affected 1% of victms.

The 16% who knew the thief personally breaks down as follows: 6% family member, 2% co-worker, 8% friend, neighbor.