Oklahoma Identity Theft Laws

Every day we’re using the telephone and computers to do business, we’re also using more of our private identifying information in public ways. This makes us more susceptible to identity theft scams. Put simply, identity theft is when one person uses another person’s identifying information for financial gain. Lucky for us Okies, the Sooner State has statutes to help protect citizens from identity theft. Here's a quick introduction to identity theft laws in Oklahoma.

Identity Theft Laws

Identity thieves are constantly searching your name, date of birth, social security number, driver’s license number -- anything they can use to gain access to money. Under Oklahoma law, identity theft is a felony, punishable by up to two years in prison, $10,000 in fines, or both, along possible restitution to the victim(s).

Oklahoma Identity Theft Statutes

The following table lists the specifics of Oklahoma’s identity theft statutes.

As good as they are, Oklahoma’s identity theft laws can only be enforced after a crime occurs. So it’s up to you to protect yourself against identity theft:

• Always be diligent when reading your credit card statements, bank account statements, and any government statements to check for irregular activity.
• Shred all your bills and credit card offers before throwing them away.
• Monitor your credit report and any posted credit activity.
• Make your passwords hard to guess by using numbers, capital and lower case letters, and even symbols, and change them frequently.
• Definitely don't use the same password for all your accounts.
• Beware of telemarketers asking for your social security number, and be wary of giving your personal information over the phone.

For more information on protecting yourself from identity theft, scams, or deceptive trade practices, visit FindLaw’s consumer protection section.

Oklahoma Identity Theft Laws: Related Resources

Identity theft laws can be as indecipherable as the scams they prohibit. If you would like legal advice regarding an identity theft matter, you can contact an Oklahoma consumer protection attorney. You can also find more information and resources in FindLaw's sections on Identity Theft Basics and Stolen Identity.