Re: The stolen forms are then filled in and sent in with a different address from the original but the same name and identifying data as the original recipient's. The victim gets the bills and the thief gets the goods.

Since the fraudster is using a different address, the victim does not get the bill either. They find out when their credit report shows non-payment of credit card debt!

Why is it that card issuers are not required to positively confirm that an individual has applied for credit? A different address on the application from that to which the application was sent should be an immediate red flag for the issuer, even if it results in some "false positives."