Anderson, Keith B.; Durbin, Erik; Salinger, Michael A. - In: Journal of Economic Perspectives 22 (2008) 2, pp. 171-192
Identity theft is made possible by the nature of modern payment systems. In the modern economy, sellers are willing to offer goods and services to strangers in exchange for a promise to pay, provided the promise is backed up by data that link the buyer to a specific account or credit history....