Crime One of the best theories best known for methodological approaches would be a rational choice. Individuals are a unit of analysis at which to study society. Society is not made up of a large number of individuals; it can contain organizations and groups. Any general sociological theory is able to tell how the social structure can come into being as well as how they can be maintained. The rational choice theory will explain how the human race behaves for the most part. There are some limits to the theory. Rational choice theory is based on the idea that individuals act for a particular purpose, that is to maximize their utility. In the simplest way, rational choice theory will say the given number of different options that people will do, because they believe that it will have the best outcome. The field of political science rational choice theory is usually used. Rational choice theorists argue that the study of political analysis need not necessarily include every detail of political information, such as dates, names and places, but that an alternative view can offer a distinctive insight into the nature of political life. An assumption made by rational choice theorists is, every human is motivated by self-interest and will figure out their own moves so that they can maximize their own interests. The rational choice theories are more likely to deter property crimes than to violence crimes if increased sanctions are put in play. The increased sanctions will make the individual re think the process at what they are doing, they will change the cost benefit and it will reduce the likelihood of them doing the crime again (Brown, 2013). As far as the violent crimes, these people are more likely going to do the crime no matter what the outcome may be. Identity theft is a term used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception. Unlike your fingerprints, which are unique to you and cannot be given to someone else for their use, you’re personal data like your Social Security number, your bank account or credit card number can be taken and be used against your will. Over the last few years, the number of reported cases of identity theft has skyrocketed, from 86,000 reported cases in 2001 to over 10,000,000 in 2005. It is by far the fastest growing crime in the United States. Perhaps what is even scarier than the crime itself is the ease with which the crime can be pulled off. Many people do not realize how easily criminals can obtain our personal data without having to break into our homes. In public places, for example, criminals may engage in "shoulder surfing" watching you from a nearby location as you punch in your telephone calling card number or credit card number or listen in on your conversation if you give your credit-card number over the telephone to a hotel or rental car company. Even the area near your home or office may not be secure. Some criminals engage in "dumpster diving" going through your garbage cans or a communal dumpster or trash bin to obtain copies of your checks, credit card or bank statements, or other records that typically bear your name, address, and even your telephone number. These types of records make it easier for criminals to get control over accounts in your name and assume your identity (Data Breaches, 2007). Another huge way that fraud is happening is, the willingness of lenders allowing credit without physical consumer contact. Getting personal information held by third parties and the ironic ability of tractions to be able to take place through long distances via the internet are all contributors to identity theft. Wells Fargo is one example in Canada where one can easily acquire a credit approval through third party sources such as store credit; all that is needed is the social insurance number, a credit card, whether physical or simply the numbers and knowing the date of birth. You can get approved up to a few thousand dollars. There are paper forms that must be completed and sent to the company but usually the deadline to acquire the information is within several days but none of the less, the approval of the card number already allows immediate purchases (Data Breaches, 2007).

References
Brown, S. E., Esbensen, F., & Geis, G. (2013). Criminology: Explaining crime and its context (8th ed.). Cincinnati, OH: Anderson Publishing Co.
Data Breaches,(2007)Data Breaches Are Frequent, but Evidence of Resulting Identity Theft Is
Limited; However, the Full Extent Is Unknown. Retrieved from, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0773.pdf.