Debunking the myths of Identity Theft
Identity theft is a fast growing white-collar crime that is gaining the notoriety of an epidemic. There is a wealth of information on identity theft and prevention yet this area of crime is developing rapidly and is shrouded in myths.
Here is a list of truths that demystify the myths surrounding Identity Theft.
Myth 1 - I am always careful and I will not fall victim to identity theft.
Truth - It’s not that simple.
The mode of operation for stealing someone’s identity is fast evolving. Just being careful is not enough. You need defense. Criminals have a lot to gain with very little effort when executing this crime. Criminal organizations spend plenty of time and money to find newer and more efficient ways to steal someone’s
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My information is safe.
Truth – More than half of identity theft happens offline.
Stolen Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, skimmed debit cards and dumpster diving are some of the main reasons for identity theft.
Myth 6 – Shredding documents will keep me safe
Truth – Sometimes identity theft is committed by family members, friends, roommates and others who have access to your documents before it goes for shredding.
It is best to request a temporary stop mail with your local post office while you are out of town. While at home, keep your mail out of sight and keep important documents locked.
Myth 7 : Identity theft only affects adults.
Truth: A staggering number of children are victims of identity theft each year.
Children have no credit history. That makes their identity more desirable in the Dark Web. Also it takes a long time for the victim to realize that they have been a victim of identity theft. Its only when a child is applying for a driver’s license or applying for a student loan they realize someone has been misusing their identity for years.
Myth 8 : Privacy settings on social media will keep my information
Becoming the victim of identity theft is never something that is a pleasant experience. Along with the fear regarding the actual event, there is also the aftermath that must be considered. It can sometimes take years to completely see the full effects of identity theft, but by learning more about the different types, it is much easier to get started making repairs.
Every minute, about nineteen people fall victim to identity theft. Identity theft is the fraudulent use of a person’s private information; typically for financial gain. Frank Abagnale Jr. was notorious for using various identities to receive numerous benefits. Abagnale’s identity wavered depending on the career he chose. This bewildered investigators and caused the prolonged search for Frank Abagnale Jr. As technology advances; identity theft will continue to flourish throughout numerous infrastructures. Identity theft hastily becoming one of the largest growing crimes in America. However, there are numerous ways to protect yourself from becoming a victim to this malicious threat. By inspecting your purchases on the internet, keeping your personal information safe,
Student Answer: There are several methods to a crook use to steal your identity. Some crooks are using credit cards and drivers licenses with identities lifted from a stolen or forged passports a crook can be one that is pilfering your credit card number and charging merchandise to your
Age is not a factor when it comes to identity crime; criminals prey and target those who are young and vulnerable. In the article “Girl scout leader jailed after guilty plea…,” Gant (2007) writes about a case of a 33 year old Girl Scout leader who used the identities of 15 of her scouts’ to commit identity theft. “She admitted to using her scouts’ identities to file for claims…and obtained more than $87,000 from the IRS…” (para 5) She got the girls social security information from “fraudulent medical release forms filled out before field trips.” (para 6) She faces up to 230 years in prison. Identity theft does not only affect adults but can also target our children and youth, so we must learn to protect not only ourselves but our families as well.
Identity theft is the least understood of all problems, though this assumption of our identities for fraudulent purposes is the most alarming of all problems. It is the most rapidly growing crime in the United States. It is quite complex, and this is how fraudsters work. A fraudster gets hold of your personal information, including your social security number and the numbers of your credit cards, among others. It is not so difficult if you are not careful. He/she assumes your identity, runs up astronomical bills, and leaves you holding the bag. This leaves you with a credit record that is totally ruined, and creditors at your door screaming for their money.
There is no “sure” way to stop identity theft from happening to someone. There are only measures that may make it harder for thieves to steal someone’s identity because nothing is foolproof. People can shred their important documents after they’re done with them to help prevent their identity to be stolen via dumpster diving, but the thief may find all the shreds and put them together just like a puzzle. The odds of this happening are slim, but there is still a chance, a chance lower than just throwing it out. People should make sure to not use ATMs and not to do personal banking in public, but this will only slow down a thief who is determined to steal someone’s identity. Once a thief is determined to steal someone’s identity and only their identity, there are not many obstacles stopping him/her.
Identity theft can occur countless ways and anyone can be a victim of this criminal act. People who commit identify theft usually have the motive of wanting to commit various crimes, buy expensive items, apply for loans or even land a job all while using someone else's identity. Identity theft is especially common when someone is seeking to cover up their criminal acts. Fortunately there are ways to prevent identify theft from happening to you and being able to know when it is happening. The number one way to prevent identify theft is to always shred
The first thing is, what identity theft is. Identity theft is a term that is used to refer to
Identity theft over the years has cost citizens and businesses millions of dollars each year just in the United States alone. It has also taken on different forms from true identity theft (false impersonation), to theft for financial gain, and to non-credit forms of identity theft. Identity theft does not necessarily have to cause monetary damage, but what it does do to a victim’s credit, medical history, citizenship, driving records, etc. can do possibly more damage. Furthermore, identity theft threatens our national security, impacts our economy, and can facilitate terrorism and illegal
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
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 is the fastest growing fraud crime in America (Finklea, 2009). Gaining knowledge in preventing theft will better the economy and lower the crime rates in America. There are reported 9.9 million victims of identity theft and this number is increasing rapidly as the years go on. It has been reported that an estimate of fifty billion dollars has been charged to our consumers every year due to identity theft (Finklea, 2009).
Today in the United States there is a crime that every citizen faces having committed against them and that is the crime of identity theft. Identity theft is the theft of one's personal identifying information such as one's name, address, date of birth, credit card numbers, bank information, and most of all social security number (National Insurance Crime Bureau, 2000). With the modernization of our world it has became easier for would be identity thieves to commit their crime. There are many basic steps that one can do to help prevent themselves from becoming a victim of identity theft.
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.
Identity theft is an increasing epidemic . Some of the ways a person can commit identity theft would be using someone’s person identification information for financial benefit. Some the ways a perpetrator can do this is by using another individual's personal information such as date of birth, driver license number, social security number, etc. Essentially, there are different type’s identity crimes such as financial, medical, child and synthetic identity theft. (VanderPal, 2015)