The Rise Of Identity-Related Crime

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 a major concern today in our country, millions of a person’s identity have been compromised for many of years. Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person’s personal information such as name, Social Security number, driver’s license number, credit card number, or other identifying information to take on that person’s identity in order to commit fraud or other crimes. Stealing an identity is, unfortunately, surprisingly easy to do and happens when you least expect it. Just by opening your mail, something that has personal information on it, throwing it in the trash. Therefore, a person can go through your trash and take all that information and use it against you to take on a new identity.

Cybercrime has experienced significant progress during recent years, as its advance is directly proportional with the advance of technology. In spite of the fact that the authorities devise new and better strategies to fight cybercrime, the fact that the number of people online is constantly increasing means that cybercrimes occur even more frequently. Dishonest people who seek opportunities have discovered how the internet stands as a perfect environment for them to commit crimes by taking as little risks as possible. Computer fraud generates a series of benefits for the person committing it, as he or she can either profit financially from the enterprise or can simply alter files in order for his or her image to be positively affected. Identity theft is a major form of cybercrime and it is essential for society to acknowledge the gravity of the matter in order to be able to effectively fight against criminals using it.

Have you ever received a credit card bill at the end of the month with a ridiculous amount of money needed to be paid that you never spent? This is because of identity theft. The FTC estimates that each year, over 9 million people are affected by identity theft. According to Sally Driscoll, this is because almost anyone with a computer and a slight bit of computer knowledge can pull off identity theft. Experts also claim that identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the world. Identity theft is a global problem that cannot be stopped without effective measures. The problem is, effective measures are very hard to come by when dealing with identity theft because almost any security protocol can be by-passed.

In recent years, the world has seen significant changes in technology. With new technology come new challenges. One of those new challenges is identity theft. Identity theft can happen through the internet, ATM, emails, or even a phone. Identity theft can happen when any person(s) takes an individual’s information, such as their Social Security number, or even banking information for financial gain. “Close to 100 million Americans have their personal information placed at risk of theft each year when records in databases are lost, stolen or accessed by unauthorized individuals” (Information systems and technology, n.d.). Identity theft not only costs the person, whose

According to an online source regarding internet fraud, “tax identification numbers, Social Security numbers, driver’s license information, fingerprints, and similar private and confidential information are now more accessible than ever before” (Saunders). Identity theft is a matter of the lack of security that technology provides and the failure of people to use it safely. With social media at its peak, outsiders can stalk unsecured profiles online and know complete biographies in minutes. An estimated 40,000 people in the United States fall victim to crimes like identity theft every year (Saunders). This high number is most likely due to the lack of precautionary measures taken by people when using technology and the failure of the government to prevent such crimes.

Identity Theft - Internal identity theft is “one of the fastest growing crimes [in Canada], and the Internet [can be perceived as

Consideration of recommendations will significantly improve the quality and availability of data and will enhance the monitoring of identity crime and misuse throughout Australia on a permanent basis. In the future, an identity crime measurement framework will act as a minor step towards protecting the Australian society from identity theft. The National Identity Security Coordination Group (NISCG) is entailed to contract an annual identity crime measurement report for relevant Commonwealth, state and territory ministers on the extent, and impacts of the crime in

Given the widespread effects of identity theft, it’s clear to see why 18% of Australians believe they are at risk in the next 12 months. Some alarming statistics regarding identity theft are:

But the government is not the only authority that has concerns. Many officers today feel that we need new rules and procedures to prevent and solve many identity theft cases (Dadisho). There is truth in this and many citizens agree with this consideration. One of the reasons why Americans feel this way is that not many cases of identity theft are actually solved. One of the reasons being is that companies do not cooperate with law enforcement enough (Dadisho). However, not only the companies are at fault here. Not only are the companies not cooperating, but also law enforcement is not interested in smaller cases, but only large ones, involving hundreds of victims. The police, being somewhat idle in this situation, do not want to be involved in identity theft crimes because they are difficult to investigate (Anderson). Many other authorities do not want to be involved in these crimes because of other reasons as well. These cases are not only difficult to solve, but are also very long-lasting. It may take years to fix the problem after the theft (Chappell 4). By abolishing the practice of identity theft, the authorities need not focus their time on identity fraud cases, but can tend to the larger problems in America. Furthermore, there are more reasons to do away with identity theft, including some of the health risks of this issue.

The internet has brought upon a new revolution of global interconnection where contacting someone on the other side of the world is just a click away, but with this international phenomenon comes an increased susceptibility with unfamiliar technology. Internet crime is compiled of all non-physical crime with the aid of a computer. Although broad in definition internet crimes are largely composed of acts such as cyber fraud, ‘phishing’ (username and password hacking), cyber stalking and hacking. Internet crime does not pose an overwhelming issue in society in terms of its

The government is actively involved in decreasing the amount of identity theft by providing the most effective tools to investigate and prosecute identity thieves. One of these tools is the Identity

     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 affects millions of Americans every day. Scam artists and hackers lay in wait for an unsuspecting person to get caught up their scheme through ignorance or naivety so they can take full advantage of their personal information to do as they desire with it. Problem is, it infiltrates and depreciates the integral infrastructure of our society which creates a cultural lapse through the declination of economic and cultural growth and double jeopardizes an already unstable system to the brink of its destruction. To understand how

The United States Department of Justice defines Identity Theft and Fraud as, “… terms 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, typically for economic gain” (U.S. Department of Justice, 2012). An individual’s personal data such as: Social Security number, bank account information, credit card numbers, or telephone calling card number¬ may be used by criminals to personally profit at your expense. In many cases, a victim's loss not only includes out-of-pocket financial losses, but substantial additional financial costs and time repairing and correcting credit histories and erroneous information. To assist with my research for this paper, I chose two books written from different perspectives. First, I sought out a book to provide a comprehensive review of identity theft history; methods used to steal identities, consequences of having your identity stolen, and prevention techniques from an individual or business perspective. Next, after developing a strong baseline on identity theft, I searched for a reference book which offers a comprehensive review of the concepts of computer crimes, relevant laws, and methods practiced by investigators to trace, capture and persecute identity theft