In fact, “… the complexity of the crime made obtaining elements necessary to get an arrest warrant more difficult to satisfy than for most of the other theft related offenses” (Allison, Schuck, & Lersch, 2005, p. 21). Research Topic/Question Was the increase in identity theft similar to those of the other theft-related offenses? Was the clearance rate for identity theft similar to those of the other theft-related offenses? What were the predominant demographic characteristics associated with victims and offenders of identity theft? Thesis Claims by government officials and the media’s portrayal of the substantial rise in identity thefts are supported empirically. Outline of Main Points The increase of identity theft offenses could be most influenced by instant credit because it is low risk and high reward, and offenders are generally motivated by economic gain. Arrests for identity theft are difficult to attain due to jurisdictional problems, problems with allocation of department …show more content…
Criminals using a low technology method to commit identity theft would be the most common due to their relative ease, such as dumpster diving – where offenders gather personal information by going through an individual’s garbage. Criminals using a high technology method requires some skill and expertise, such as skimming – where offenders use computers to read and store the information encoded on an ATM or a credit card’s magnetic strip. Credit card fraud, check fraud, robbery and motor vehicle theft are examples of theft-related offenses. These offenses can be described as the stealing and unauthorized use of an individual's property with the criminal intent to deny the rightful owner of it. In criminology, the dark figure of crime is a degree of crime that often went