{"id":374376,"date":"2016-03-31T21:35:44","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:35:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/mississippi-law\/mississippi-identity-theft-laws.html"},"modified":"2016-06-20T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-06-20T05:00:00","slug":"mississippi-identity-theft-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/mississippi-law\/mississippi-identity-theft-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Mississippi Identity Theft Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Mississippi Identity Theft Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Today, consumers have to worry about their identities being stolen and used inappropriately by others for financial gain or to avoid arrest. Falling victim to identity theft<\/a> can ruin your credit or your good name with an inaccurate arrest or criminal record. As a result, it\u2019s important to keep your identifying information<\/a> safe to prevent this crime.<\/p>\r\n

The chart below outlines the main identity theft laws<\/a> in Mississippi.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Code Sections<\/b><\/td>\r\nMississippi Code, Title 97, Chapter 45: Computer Crimes & Identity Theft<\/a> and Sections 97-9-79: False Information<\/a>, 97-19-83: Mail Fraud<\/a>, and 97-19-85: Fraudulent Use of Identity<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
What is Prohibited?<\/b><\/td>\r\nIdentity theft in Mississippi law includes multiple different crimes related to using someone else identity, including:
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Penalty<\/b><\/td>\r\nThe penalty varies by the type of identity theft-related crime and circumstances, as follows:
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Prosecuting Agency<\/b><\/td>\r\nMississippi Attorney General\u2019s Office<\/a> or local district attorney\u2019s office can prosecute identity theft crimes, as can the federal government for crimes that crossed state lines.
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\r\nDefendants can be charged a civil penalty of double the reasonable costs of the attorney general\u2019s Office, district attorney\u2019s office, and law enforcement departments involved in investigating and prosecuting the identity theft crime(s). The money collected be divided among the agencies that worked on the case.
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\r\nVictims can request the Attorney General help them get information to correct errors on their credit report or other identifying information, but they can\u2019t be legally represented by the Attorney General.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
Civil Remedies<\/b><\/td>\r\nIdentity theft victims who have charges, an arrest record, or conviction allegedly on their criminal record wrongly can file a petition for expungement<\/a> of those charges or arrest records in the court they come from. The Attorney General\u2019s Office can also provide these victims with \u201cIdentity Theft Passports\u201d verifying a court order clearing their names.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\r\n

If you\u2019ve been charged with identity theft, you should immediately speak to an experienced Mississippi criminal defense lawyer<\/a> or your public defender if you can\u2019t afford a lawyer. On the other hand, if you\u2019ve been the victim of an identity theft, you should take steps to protect yourself<\/a> in the future. You may also want to speak to a local consumer protection attorney<\/a> who can help you reclaim your losses.<\/p>\r\n

Note:<\/i><\/b> State laws are revised frequently. Please contact an attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify these laws.<\/i><\/p>\r\n

Research the Law<\/h2>\r\n