Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person’s name, social security number, date of birth, driver’s license number, account numbers, passwords or other personal identification information, without authority, and falsely poses as another person to commit fraud and gain access to the other person’s finances.
Identity theft charges can stem from:
- Internet identity theft: Internet or computer purchases using an additional person’s credit card
- Credit card theft: Applying for a credit card (access card) or making purchases
- Bank/credit card identity theft: Applying for a mortgage, other loan, or bank account
- Counterfeit or altered credit cards, driver’s license, or official records (medical, marriage)
- Forgery of signature on documents such as a check or debit card purchase
- Publishing account numbers
Florida Identity Theft Law
“[a]ny person who willfully and without authorization fraudulently uses, or possesses with intent to fraudulently use, personal identification information concerning an individual without first obtaining that individual’s consent, commits the offense of fraudulent use of personal identification information.”
Identity Theft Charges Can Carry Severe Penalties
The charge and sentence will depend on the following:
- Seriousness or degree of the victim’s harm
- Amount of monetary damage
- The sophistication of the crime
- Defendant’s past criminal record
Forgery and Counterfeiting in Florida
Some of the specific types of forgery and counterfeiting offenses that our criminal defense attorneys handle include:
- Uttering forged instruments
- Forging or counterfeiting private labels
- Counterfeiting legal tender
- Forging or counterfeiting prescription blanks
- Check forgery
- Forging bank documents, bills or promissory notes
- Counterfeiting coin
- Possession of instruments for forging legal tender
- Creating instruments to forge legal tender
- Forging or counterfeiting a doctor’s certificate of examination
- Counterfeiting controlled substances
