2. Definition of key concepts
2.1. Identity theft
Identity theft is defined by Bellah (2001:222) as the personal information of a person, which can be used to distinguish an individual, being unlawfully used by another individual to whom the personal identifying information does not belong. Personal identifying information (PII) is information that can be used in order to identify or trace an individual and includes information such as a person’s social security number, passport number, birth date and place, name, biometric records, medical records, financial, employment, asset as well as educational information (McCallister, Grance & Scarfone, 2010:3). McCallister et al (2010:3) also states that this personal information is vital to all individuals
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Perpetrators committed identity theft with the purpose of unlawfully gaining access into The United Stated of America and intimately carried out a terrorists attack on the Twin Towers in New York City (Allison, Schuck and Lersch, 2005:22). The nature of identity theft can either be extremely disastrous and harmful or it can be less harmful and more inconvenient, either way this type of crime has serious consequences (Hurt, 2016:1). According to Allison et al (2005:22), identity theft can be committed by terrorists for the purpose of unlawfully entering a country in order to cause devastation or identity theft can be committed for the purpose of financial gain, which can cause a damaged credit history for victims. Consequently causing serious damage either way, identity theft committed by terrorists may lead to loss of life whereas a damaged credit history may take victims years to repair (Perl, 2003:176). The nature thus depends on the type of identity theft committed as well as the reasons why identity theft is …show more content…
Erasmus (2015:1) states that the crime of identity theft had increased over the last six years with 200% and may see an increase once
In modern days, there is a type of crime that is growing very fast. It has become a very popular crime because it’s easily done, and it doesn’t leave a big trace, whether the crime is successful or not. The crime in question is Identity theft. Identity theft is a crime that involves a person or group pretending to be someone else for their own personal wants. The criminals use personal financial information such as social security number, bank and card information, your address and other personal information. According to the Insurance Information Institute, 15.4 million U.S. consumers have been victim to this crime, amounting to a loss of $16 billion, making it the most growing crime
Identity Theft is a severe and important issue that needs more recognizing than is currently has now. Identity Theft is when mean people go around and try to steal your Identity. If they are successful and have stolen your identity they can buy items and you will be charged. They can also ruin your credit history and reputation with your Identity. Identity theft happens every day and many people are affected daily. If your identity gets stolen it may take years to get all your stuff back. It may even cost you money to fix it! This will tell you everything you need to know about Identity Theft and hopefully we can put a stop to it.
Today Identity Theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission, identity theft victim complaint database currently contains more than three hundred thousand complaints. American consumers reported losing over one billion dollars to fraud overall in 2014, according to the Federal Trader Commissions annual report on consumer complaints released earlier this year, with the average cost ranging between five hundred dollars to two thousand dollars per victim (Federal Trade Commission, 2014). According to the 2011 Identity Fraud Survey Report, approximately eight million adults in the United States were victims of identity theft with the total cost of thirty seven billion dollars (Britz, 2013). The Federal Trade commission strongly urges people to take action in protecting themselves from Identity Theft because everyone is at risk of this rapidly growing crime no matter your age, race, gender or current financial situation. Identity Theft when a illegitimate person gains access to your personal information, such as your Social Security number, credit card account information, your mother's maiden name, your driver's license number, and other important information to impersonate someone. When the criminal has gained the information they need, they have the ability opens credit accounts, cellphone accounts, and other types of credit based accounts in your name. In addition once a person’s information is stolen the criminal then has the ability to access current accounts that is possessed, leading to even further damage to personal finance and credit.
Identity theft refers to unlawful activities which specifically compromise another person’s identity. According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), identity theft is an activity “in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.” Such personal data can include names, Social Security numbers, birthdates, bank accounts, credit card numbers, or medical records. Identity theft can also be part of or enable other types of crimes such as bank, credit card, document, employment, or immigration fraud; robbery; and burglary, for example (Finklea, 2010, p. 2). Identity theft exists on a continuum with simple unauthorized credit card charges on one end all the way to having one’s identity completely assumed by another.
Identity theft violates our privacy in so many ways. It makes us feel violated and unsafe. Your most confidential and personal information is in the hands of someone bad. They want to make sure everything he or she does in under your name. Hopefully as Americans if we increase our awareness and be more cautious, identity theft crimes will slowly start to decrease. Identity theft is a serious issue and no one wants to be a victim of it.
Law enforcement officials have stated that identity theft crime has been one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. Identity theft is also one of the fastest growing white collar crimes. This is a serious crime. Identity theft is the act of knowingly transferring or using without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable state law. If the offender is found guilty, then the person committing the act could get a fine, property forfeiture, or at maximum of 15 years in prison.
I’ve decided to write my research paper on the issue of identity theft. Identity theft has occurred all throughout history in various ways and forms. Today, it is one of the fastest growing crimes occurring all over the world. Data suggests that identity theft accounts for roughly $50 billion stolen each year from citizens and businesses in the U.S. I believe that more attention should be targeted towards identity theft because of the detrimental effects it can have on a single victim and on our nation’s economy. Topics I will discuss include statistics about the crime, laws that protect the victims of the crimes, and what we are doing to prevent future attacks from happening.
theft are financial, driver license, medical, child identity theft, and synthetic identity theft. It is
Identity theft is a serious crime where a thief obtains your personal information, such as your social security number, to commit fraud. Identity theft has become a growing issue in today 's society, especially with today 's advanced technology. Research done by Javelin strategy concludes that nearly 12 million Americans have been victims of identity theft in 2011. The statistics of identity theft show an increase of thirteen percent over 2010. The numbers are increasingly growing as the years go by. Approximately seven percent of adults have their identity stolen, resulting in at least $3,500 in losses. Identity thieves develop cagey methods to steal identities like stealing wallets, mail, and phone calls that lure people into giving out their
According to Merriam Webster, identity theft is the illegal use of someone else's personal identifying information (such as a Social Security number) in order to get money or credit. Identity theft has been around ever since banking was introduced to the world, but did not become a federal offense until 1988. Before the Privacy Act was passed by Congress in 1974, people physically carried their social security numbers on them, so identity theft was just as easy as stealing an individual’s wallet. With a person’s social security number, a thief has access to the person’s social security benefits as well as other government services such as unemployment checks (Driscoll).
III. Thesis Statement: Identity Theft is rapidly becoming a national issue because anyone of us could be a victim of identity theft. How we protect our self, keep our information private, identify any signs of identity theft, and report and repair our credit is up to each one of us. We have to be vigilant about our protecting ourselves from criminals.
Sullivan, C. (2009). Is identity theft really theft? International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, 23(1/2), 77-87. doi:10.1080/13600860902742596
Identity theft is a non ethical criminal offence. It is when someone gathers someone’s personal information and uses it against them. Fraudsters usually get a hold of personal information using three methods: information given away, offline methods and online methods. People commit this crime for many different reasons, but they all have one common goal of using some else’s identity to their advantage. There are many different type of identity thefts, which are categorized on what the criminal is using the identity for. Having said all of this, identity is a crime that can cause a lot of finical and reputation damage to the victim and that is why it is important to prevent it. Identity theft can be prevented if everybody knows exactly what it is and what they can do to keep their identity safe.
Lenard, Thomas I. “Identity Theft Is a Declining Problem.” Cyber Crime. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes.
America,” (Weidenfeld 1). Being the number one crime, identity theft is very dangerous. If your