Identity Theft
CSUSM Student Gets Prison Time for Identity Theft
An Orange County man has been sentenced to one year in federal prison after he admitted to stealing the identities and passwords of more than 700 fellow students at California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM). The Associated Press reports that the Huntington Beach resident was sentenced July 15 for wire fraud, unauthorized access of a computer and identity theft. AP reports that the 22-year-old man stole the identities last year…
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You Can Be Charged with Identiy Theft For Hacking Someone’s Facebook Account
In the recent case of The People v. Rolando S.,, the California Court of Appeal for the Fifth Appellate District held that for purposes of California Penal Code Section 530.5, an individual who unlawfully accesses a victim's account on a social media website and alters the victim's profile and posts obscene messages and comments on other people's profiles from the victim's account may be charged with either a misdemeanor or…
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Identity Theft – California Penal Code Section 530.5
Identity theft in California consists of stealing an individual's personal identifying information and using it for an unlawful purpose such as obtaining a financial gain or making a tangible purchase. Examples of personal information that can be stolen include Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and using someone else's good credit to purchase a vehicle or other property. California Penal Code Section 530.5(a) is the unauthorized use…
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Tips for Victims of Identity Theft
The office of the attorney general has published a page on its website dedicated to those who are victims, or suspect they may be victims, of identity theft. Identity theft is currently among the fastest growing crimes in America. It affected approximately 10 million victims in 2008 (a 22% increase from 2007). During these hard economic times, it is vital that each individual protect their financial resources. A large part…
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