THE COSTS OF STOLEN IDENTITY DOCUMENTS

Clients of KnightsBridge Castle occasionally ask about the cost of establishing a false identity. Those unfamiliar with identity theft fraud often assume that the cost of critical identifying information, as well as the cost of quality forged documents is very high, and that the average identity thief cannot afford these costs.

A quick examination of our “Identity Theft Most Wanted” blog site will reveal that identity thieves can obtain very good documents for “proof” of their stolen identity. The documents can be obtained either from the issuing agency such as the DMV, or they can be forged. DMV documents are frequently obtained by simply filling out a form to replace a lost ID. Forged documents can be obtained from criminal websites located off shore. Documents produced off shore by forgery shops vary in quality from shabby to good enough to fool the DMV.

For less than $500 a complete set of “persona” information and a very good set of identity documents can be produced. The cost of entering this crime is very low, and this low cost is matched only by the low cost of being caught and convicted – parole for first time offenders, and rarely more than 6 months for habitual offenders.