Essay On Identity Theft

“According to the 2011 identity fraud survey report, approximately 8.1 million adults in the United States were victims of identity fraud to the tune of $37 billion in 2010.” (Britz p.115) They prey upon private citizens, company employees, corporate executives, and government workers. It is used for personal gain, or corporate interests, or to facilitate the globalization of crime by terrorists and organized crime groups. No longer can the victim be assured that his or her place in the world is singular and unique, dependent on his or hers actions alone; rather, they are subject to sudden and dramatic changes, all at the behest of an actor who in all likelihood does not even know. How common is identity theft? It is the top consumer fraud complaint. There are estimated 500-750 thousand victims per year.

The first thing is, what identity theft/fraud is. Identity theft is the fraudulent acquisition and use of a persons private identifying information, usually for financial gain. Identity fraud is unlawful identity change. It indicates unlawful activities that use the identity of another person or of non-existing person as a principle tool for merchandise procurement. Identity theft/fraud categorized by the intention or motivation of the offender.

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Secondly, there are five main types of identity theft/fraud occurring in the United

States. The first one is assumption of identity. Which is the rarest form and most difficult to accomplish. The second type is theft for employment and/or border entry. This is the increasingly common due to the growth of illegal immigration and alien smuggling. It involves use of stolen or fictitious personal information to obtain employment or to gain entry into the United Stated. A...

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.... Detect suspicious activity by routinely monitoring your financial accounts and billing statements. Defend against identity theft as soon as you suspect a problem.

It is anticipated that the identity theft/fraud will continue to increase as the globalization of communication and commerce continues. Criminals have successfully thwarted law enforcement initiatives and safety precautions. It is also expected to increase in pace with the increase in the outsourcing of information and services. This is a serious crime to commit. The punishment for identity thieves is that they will receive a mandatory five years in prison. I personally believe that the theft should have to pay the victim back all the expenses in cash, do community service for a few years, and still have the five year term of prison. And remember, identify theft/fraud could happen to anyone, even to you.