Identity theft is one of the most common types of cybercrime. Identity theft a term which refers to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal information in some way that involves fraud or deception. Identity thieves are looking to gain pieces of personal identifying information (PII) such as social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and credit card numbers. There are numerous ways identity thieves can obtain pieces of your PII. There are online methods such as phishing and date breaches, which will be address in this report, and non-online methods such as dumpster diving and wallet stealing, which will not.
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, there are four main types
Identity theft is when someone, without the consent of the owner, dishonestly uses, or intends to fraudulently use another individual’s personal identity. Personal identifying information can consist of an individual’s name, date of birth, driver’s license number, mother’s maiden name, state identification number, telephone number and other personal information that
Identity Theft, one of the worst crimes that could happen to someone without them even knowing it. Identity Theft is subtle and sometimes can go undiscovered for lengthy amounts of time. The Bureau of Justice Statistics says “An estimated 17.6 million Americans—about 7% of U.S. residents age 16 or older—were victims of identity theft in 2014” (Harell). As Identity fraud is subtle, it is harder to find evidence that it could be happening. Luckily, there are ways to detect it. A way to detect identity theft is if “The IRS notifies a victim that more than one tax return was filed in their name, or that they have income from an employer they don’t work for.” (Identity Theft Recovery Steps). Identity theft is a major problem that most people do
Identity theft is the stealing and use of someone’s personal information and is one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation (Dole, 2005). According to Federal Trade Commission estimates, identity thieves victimize approximately 10 million Americans every year at a cost of an astonishing $50 billion (2005). Identity theft has been going on for years now and is easily done with the help of today’s technology. According to the Federal Trade Commission, there are six common ways that identity thieves get a hold of personal information. The varieties of methods that are used are dumpster diving, skimming, phishing, changing the victim’s address, stealing, and pretexting (Federal Trade Commission). Once someone’s identity is stolen,
Identity Theft is the assumption of a person’s identity in order to obtain credit cards from back account and retailers; the crime varies from stealing money from existing bank accounts; renting apartments or storage units; applying for loans or establishing accounts using another’s name (legal dictionary, 2007). Identity theft and identity fraud are terms that are often used
There are many things that could have been taken away from the FDIC MoneySmart simulated podcasts. One thing that really stuck with me is how dangerous identity theft is. A person can access your credit card information, your social security info and your credit report simply by opening one of your bills. It is scary to think that someone would just go through your mail to access that. We no longer have any personal privacy because people can easily access our information. My sisters wallet was stolen right out of her purse, when she was at the hospital one time. The person who stole it, used her credit card to make multiple purchases. Fortunately the credit card companies were able to tract down where the criminal was by looking at the recent
In the time that it takes to read my speech, 38 to 57 people will have become victims of identity theft. According to usa.gov, identity theft is a crime where a thief steals your personal information to commit fraud. Common types of personal Id that are involved are medical, social, and tax identification. Identity thieves can use identity related documents for many different reasons which can cause some very stressful reactions, but it is
Identity theft is a type of fraud, it is the deliberate use of someone else's identity. Most commonly to gain money or obtain credit and other benefits in the victim’s name. The victim whose identity has been stolen may suffer consequences such as being held responsible for the offender's actions. Identity theft occurs when someone uses someone else’s identifying information (such as their name, credit card number, passport, etc.) without their permission.
the Risk of Crime? Ed. Lisa Yount. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. At Issue. Rpt.
According to the FTC, Identity theft topped the Federal Trade Commission’s national ranking of consumer complaints for the 15th consecutive year. There are eight different types of identity theft: Financial Identity Theft, Driver’s License ID Theft, Criminal ID Theft, Social Security ID Theft, Medical ID Theft, Insurance ID Theft, Child ID Theft, and Synthetic ID Theft. As I read though the list of potential identity theft issues, it honestly made me want to crawl under a rock, it is very unsettling that there are so many ways in which someone can become you. And the fact that many times we never know that a breach of our private data has occurred is equally unsettling.
Can you imagine getting all of your personal information records getting stolen and not having any protection? Identity is a valuable, and irreplaceable responsibility and it needs to be protected. Government protection can help decrease records and social security numbers from getting stolen. This step forward can result in fewer criminals in the future. Although this has been getting harder over the years due to the advancements in technology through social media and different types of communication modes that are getting used more then ever in the past. In the coming years there should be help implemented in the protection of security systems used while also implementing stricter regulations.
According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), identity theft refers to acquiring someone else’s personal information for criminal purposes. Identity theft can range from “dumpster diving and mail theft” to “more elaborate schemes” that are facilitated by the Internet (RCMP). Identity fraud refers to the actual illegal and deceptive use of another individual’s personal information, in connection with various frauds (RCMP). For instance, victims’ personal information can be used by criminals to access bank accounts, make purchases, transfer bank balances, etc. (RCMP). Based on the RCMP’s definitions, it is safe to assume that identity theft refers to the possession of someone else’s personal information while identity fraud is the deceptive
One of the several steps a person can take to protect against identity theft is to manage important cards and credentials containing financial or personal information. It is crucial to always know the location of all cards and credentials whether in a wallet, purse, portfolio, or any other item specifically designed to keep them secure. People need to be responsible enough to not misplace personal items containing credit cards, a social security number, or even post-it notes filled with passwords; however, in the event that a wallet or purse is lost, one cans still manage their credentials by immediately notifying credit card companies, banks, or other agencies. Take this scenario for instance: if a woman were
In today's society, there is a white-collar crime that has greatly risen in popularity among criminals. This crime is identity theft. Hundreds of thousands of people have their identities stolen each year. Identity theft is when these criminals obtain and use consumers personal information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, insurance information, and social security numbers to purchase goods or services fraudulently. According to the Federal Trade Commission, over 1.1 million people were the victim of identity theft. With this number, it is very evident that identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in our country. This paper will attempt to more thoroughly define identity theft. It will
Identity theft occurs when one’s personally identifiable information (PII) is used, without one’s permission or knowledge, for fraudulent purposes. Identity theft can be a cyber-crime or it can be accomplished by dumpster diving . These methods have popular in the United States over the years. An Identity thief or hacker can use one’s PII in different ways. Social engineering (Module6, 2016) is a common way in which a person can have their identity stolen. The person that is attempting to get your information is relying on the suspected victim to go against normal protocol. Although, there are measures that can be taken to protect one’s PII, a person still needs to use daily precautions. Everyone is at risk of having their identity stolen in one way or another. Falling victim to identity theft is difficult to recover from. There are numerous resources that offer assistance with the recovery process.
Identity theft is on the rise in the United States and Globally. The Federal Trade Commission advised that there are about nine million cases of identity theft. People who had their identity stolen often feel like they were violated. Any individual can have their identity compromised in numerous ways. Different institutions store personal information. There are several organizations that have social security numbers, bank account numbers, and credit card numbers. Colleges and Universities have people personal information stored in their databases that could be hacked. There are several companies that offer options to people to protect their identity. Most credit card companies offer the option of identity