Being accused of identity theft can be damaging to your personal and professional reputation. People may have a difficult time trusting you, and maintaining or gaining employment can become difficult. If you or a loved one has been accused of stealing another person’s identity, you may benefit from speaking with a skilled fraud attorney. A Fairfax identity theft lawyer could review your case and help you protect your future.
Identity theft is a type of fraud that involves taking on someone else’s identity for personal and financial gain. A person obtains information about somebody that is not available to the general public that helps them access financial resources or otherwise benefits them. Anytime an individual obtains someone else’s information, that could be identity theft, even if they do not use the information. A Fairfax lawyer could review someone’s case to determine if they committed identity theft.
One example of identity theft is when someone who is under 21 has someone else’s identification to get into a bar. Accessing other information such as a social security number, PIN, passwords to a bank account, and driver’s license numbers could also be considered identity theft.
Other common offenses involved in identity theft include:
With stealing another person’s identity, there must also be an intent to do something illegal such as commit fraud, distribute the information, use the information for financial gain, or sell the information.
The immediate consequence of an identity theft charge is getting arrested for it. The person would receive a court date and may be held without bond. It is important that they speak with an identity theft attorney in Fairfax who can assure the court that the individual will attend their hearing. A person could face immediate incarceration throughout the dependency of their case.
One of the long-term effects is the stigma associated with an identity theft charge. The individual could face a permanent record in addition to jail time and restitution to the victims. A permanent criminal record could be accessed by employers, making maintaining or obtaining a job difficult.
An individual may get caught for activity related to identity theft if the subject is made aware that somebody else is using their identity, sometimes by an online notification system. For example, a bank may become suspicious if the person does not have the proper identification and alert the authorities.
A Fairfax attorney working with someone charged with identity theft could examine the facts of the case and talk to the individual specifically about their background. A prosecutor may offer something that would significantly decrease what is likely to happen at trial. In that type of situation, a lawyer may recommend a plea agreement. They could explain what a specific plea deal means in a defendant’s situation if they have quite a few criminal convictions, or their offense was particularly heinous and injured many others.
Identity theft is a serious charge that could cause significant problems to your professional and personal life. If convicted, you could have a permanent record that could be accessed by your current or future employer, making finding and keeping work challenging. Additionally, a person who immigrated here risks losing their green card if convicted of identity theft.
If you or a loved one has been accused of identity theft, do not hesitate to speak with a Fairfax identity theft lawyer as soon as possible to strengthen your chance of success. Schedule your first consultation right away.