There is a wide variety of areas and contexts in which we use our personally identifying information these days, ranging from online shopping to paying for bills through smartphones.

Wisconsin Identity Theft Laws

All of which make identity theft more dangerous and easier to carry out. The state of Wisconsin, however, has specific laws concerning the crime that is identity theft.

Identity Theft refers to the use of other people’s personal information without their authorization in carrying out both financial and non-financial transactions. Personal information includes full name, address, broth date, and more.

Financial transactions range from using personal identifying information to obtain goods, services, credit, or cash. In contrast, non-financial transactions involve using the identity to seek employment, escape prosecution by the court or intimidate others, amongst others.

Provided that an individual has become a victim of identity theft, such an individual must file a police report to get an investigation going regarding the matter and prove that they are indeed a victim. In addition, the report can also use to place a security freeze on the credit report of such an individual.

Unauthorized Use of Personal Information

Personal Information refers to any type of information that, when obtained, can be used to acquire things of value—this information reis regarded as illegal or unauthorized for use by individuals who are not the owner.

Apart from the ones mentioned above, they include license plate number, bank account t information, driver’s license number, place of employment, and several more.

If this information is used to make any financial transaction, then the perpetrator of such an act will be charged with a Class H felony in the state of Wisconsin.

Mandatory Police Report

Any individual who has been a victim of identity theft in the state of Wisconsin has the right to file a police report with the county in which they reside.

However, if the local county does not have jurisdiction over the criminal case, then the county must describe the agency with jurisdiction to the victim.

The person who reported the criminal incident also has to have a copy of the filed police report to be a part of their records.

Impersonating a Public Officer

If an individual impersonates a public officer, they have committed a felony in the state of Wisconsin. It involves the perpetrator telling other people that they are an officer to intimidate them or pretend to be officers to gain information.

This crime is regarded as a Class I felony charge.

Fraudulent Financial Card Crimes

There are essentially four crimes that can commit with financial cards.

• It is taking a card that belongs to another person.
• It is making use of a card lost by other people. It is a crime in Wisconsin to be in possession of a lost card for more than seven days.
• We are purchasing or selling a financial transaction card.
• You are using a false statement to obtain a financial card using the name and identifying information of another person.

Penalties

An individual who finds to be guilty of offenses of identity theft in the state of Wisconsin considers to behave committed crimes and charges with a felony, and the punishment for these charges are:

Class H felony charge. This felony charge attracts a maximum of six years in a prison cell with fines that may be up to, but not more than $10,000

Class I felony charge. This charge attracts a maximum of three and a half years prison sentence with a fine that may be up to $10,000.