Maryland Isn't Taking Identity Theft Lying Down
Is Maryland Cracking Down On Identity Theft Criminals?
Identity theft can carry a stiff sentence, and that proved true for a Maryland man who committed the crime. A twenty-something Baltimore male tried to buy an expensive SUV using another individual’s credit. The gentleman got a ride alright, just not the one he expected.
Sock It To Them
The identity theft criminal in this case received a sentence close to 11 years long and was ordered to repay more $300,000 to his victims. It was the employees at a Virginia car dealership who knew something was amiss. They alerted authorities who in turn arrested the suspect when he came to pick up the car he intended to buy.
This wasn’t the perpetrators first offense. It was discovered that he used other stolen identities and bought electronics items.
It’s possible that the identity theft criminal in Maryland was surprised by getting arrested once he arrived at the car dealership. Overall, identity theft is a low-risk crime, but it has the potential to be highly profitable. It is also a crime with a high level of recidivism, but it is interesting to ponder whether spending over a decade in prison would deter the identity theft criminal in this case from re-offending again. In any event, a sentence for identity theft would be even greater if a criminal was already convicted of identity theft in the past.
No One's Laughing
Identity theft is not a crime that the courts take lightly. Even if no one is physically harmed, the resulting inconvenience and negative consequences for identity theft victims is pretty high. For someone who has become the victim of identity theft, the task of clearing one’s name is literally a full-time job. The time and financial investment to remedy the situation is considerable. Unfortunately, identity theft is a growing crime.
Keep in mind all you know about preventing identity theft. Continue your usual measures that we have discussed here to help you reduce your risk of identity theft.