‘Alter Reality’ Governing the Risk of Identity Theft

This article examines the recent development of identity theft as a crime within the United States, specifically the appropriation of personal information for the fraudulent adoption of consumer credit accounts. It is demonstrated that identity theft, conceptualized within a discourse of risk, has a realist dimension as an unintended consequence of the deployment of information technologies in the securitization of consumer identities. However, the risk of identity theft is also operationalized in specific ways by an array of authorities who seek to govern the activities of consumers. This occurs through providing tactical advice to victims in coping with the indirect costs and uncertainties of the crime, and educating consumers on the need to adopt prudent risk minimizing and harm-reduction practices.

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