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Identity Theft occurs when someone obtains or uses another persons' personal or financial information, such as a person's name, date of birth, social security number, bank account number or credit card account number, and uses that information to commit any crime.
This can include, but is not limited to, opening a credit account in the victim's name, obtaining a driver's license in the victim's name, applying for loans, renting apartments, establishing services and utilities in the victim's name and using the victim's name at the time of arrest.
In 1999 Washington passed legislation that made identity theft a crime. That legislation, R.C.W. 9.35. et. seq., became effective in January 2000. RCW 9.35.020(1) provides:
'No person may knowingly obtain, possess, use, or transfer a means of identification or financial information of another person, living or dead, with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any crime.'
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