Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998

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Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998

Commonly abbreviated ITADA. Legislation in the United States that made it a federal offense to use another person's identifying information to commit a federal, state or local crime. It also authorized the Federal Trade Commission to register complaints of identity theft and all federal law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute them. The passage of ITADA marked the first time that identity theft became a crime in itself in the United States.

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The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 makes it a Federal crime when someone "knowingly transfers or uses, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable state or local law.