A man in Marina del Rey has been convicted on charges related to a fast growing high-tech crime known as synthetic identity theft, according to KNX 1070.
KNX 1070′s Charles Feldman reports the prosecution is believed to be only the second such prosecution in the nation.
Accoring to Experian, synthetic identity theft happens when thieves create new identities either by combining real and fake identifying information to establish new accounts with fictional identities, or create a brand new identity from fake or inaccurate information.
Perpetrators of synthetic ID theft currently only use a stolen Social Security number – the only piece of information that matches the “real” person – the crime can therefore go undetected for years.
“It’s almost like a ghost is committing these crimes,” says prosecutor Warren Kato with the District Attorney’s Office.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, synthetic identity theft is the fastest-growing type of ID fraud in the U.S. and has already surpassed “true-name” identity fraud, which estimated it currently accounts for up to 85 percent of all identity fraud.
To avoid becoming a victim of synthetic ID theft, consumers are urged to review their annual Social Security statement to ensure their reported income figure is not over-inflated from what was actually earned, and also to be on the lookout for mail that is sent to your home address with another person’s name.