Identity Theft Research Paper

My grand mother had her identity stolen once. We found out the elderly are a common victim of identity theft. An entire year went by before she knew her identity was stolen and the only reason she found out was because she found out she was missing money from her account each month to the point that her mortgage payment was not being paid in full each month. She was under the impression the bank took care of everything, her husband was taking care of the finances but he passed away so everything started to unravel. Once she found out she owed the bank a lot of money toward her mortgage and was very behind on payments. She never found out who did it, had to get all new cards and numbers, and is still paying for it today.

Identity theft is a significant problem to both citizens and financial institutions. The FTC estimates that over 27.3 million Americans have been the victims of identity theft in the past five years. The

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.

My Mom was actually just recently a victim of identity theft, a couple weeks ago she got a call from her bank questioning some charges that had been made in New Jersey around the same times she had made charges in Toledo, where we live. Obviously my Mom told them they were fraudulent charges because she’s never been to New Jersey so the bank put a freeze on her account. They think someone had gotten her account number by putting a magnetic strip at a gas pump she had used somewhere. It took about a week for her to get everything straightened out, she had to cancel her card as well so it took 10 days for her to get a replacement..it was a big hassle.

There is a plethora of information on fighting identity theft. A link from the home page tells you how to protect yourself and what six steps you need to take in the event you are or believer that you are a victim. The steps listed are links to pages that tell you exactly how to complete that step with agencies and contact information. For example, step one is Stop ongoing damage. Tells you to close certain accounts, how to obtain a fraud alert, get a free credit report and has the contact information for all three credit reporting agencies and check verification companies. The Attorney Generals Office also handles all of the child support cases. There are pages and pages of information for both custodial and non-custodial parents. Advising parents of what their rights are, how to apply for services, employers’ responsibilities, forms, seeking employment with links to Texas Workforce Commission, child support

Local and national agencies are addressing the issues of identity theft. Local officials are able to concentrate on specific occurrences and alert their constituents as needed. They are the first line of defense. City and county websiteshave links to useful information that citizens can utilize. Local libraries and community centers offer classes and workshops on how to prevent identity theft and what consumers can do if theirs is stolen.

3. Now get a copy of your credit report and review it carefully, and close all accounts that were fraudulently opened or used. File a police report. Finally file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. You can go to ftc.gov or call 1-877-ID-THEFT follow up in writing and send copies of the documents that support your claim.

There is a thief that lurks around us everyday; this thief can attack in brad day light or in the darkest hour, and just about anywhere you may find yourself. This thief has the power to act in your name, make unlimited purchases, open up credit accounts and ruin your good name and credit all in the matter of seconds; if you are vulnerable enough, you might become his next victim. In many cases all he needs is your name and a social security number, and he has enough information to make you his next victim; if you don’t believe me then ask the millions of Americans that became victim’s, or just ask me. The thief that I am talking about is identity theft. Identity theft is a

If this does happen to you there are ways you can fix it. It will take a lot of time and money, but in the end it will be all worth it. It may take a few years to realize that your identity has been stolen, but when you discover identity theft you should try to file a police report providing specific details on the theft itself. By doing so, you are entitled to certain legal rights when it is provided to the three major credit agencies or to the company where your misused information was sent. An identity theft report can be used to permanently block fraudulent information that results from the theft such as, accounts or addresses from appearing on your credit reports. If the thief made charges on an existing account and you have been able to work with the company to resolve the dispute, you may not need an identity theft report. In 1998, Congress passed the federal identity theft and assumption deterrence ACT which makes it easier for prosecutors to conduct their cases. The act is broadly described so that the act of identity theft is easier for prosecutors to judge. The majority of U.S states have passed legislation on identity theft but do not consistently define the act.

A few tips to defend yourself from fraud would be to lock electronic devices like cell phones and computers, change your passwords regularly, create strong passwords, examine your bank accounts and credit card statements frequently, shred personal records, install security software on your phone and computer and steer clear of public Wi-Fi connections. If you detect questionable activity, make contact with your financial institution straightaway. The quicker you do your chances of getting your money back improves greatly. If you receive notification of a data breach, put a fraud alert on your credit report so creditors take additional safety measures to ensure anyone applying for credit with your name is in fact you. Lastly, make the most

Figuring out if an identity is stolen is not easy only because it can be unknown until damage is dealt. This is why identity theft isn’t easy to stop. When most people report a crime, police arrive on the scene before serious damage is dealt, but when a thief steals a person’s identity, the victim can be unaware for quite some time before they realize the amount of money they lost. According to Tracey Whittaker and Anne Dilascio, in 2003, the average money lost from identity theft per person was $4,789, but in 2006 the average was less than $2000. The average out-of-pocket cost of identity theft victims in 2005 was

Identity theft continues to be a problem in the United States, yet research on identity thieves is limited. Both the theoretical and empirical literature on identity theft is in their infancy. As a result, not surprisingly, not much is known about this crime and its victims.

Second Contact one of the three major credit bureaus who will be able to work with you to find a solution.

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

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).