Identity theft Name Institution Definition Identity theft is the act of stealing someone’s identity where someone pretends to be another person by assuming their identity. The motive of identity theft is to obtain access to resources or credit and other benefits in that person’s name. The victim, whose identity is stolen often suffers adverse consequences as a result of the action of the perpetrator. The perpetrator obtains these benefits by using the victim’s name, social security number, identification number or credit card number to commit fraud. In order for an act to be identity theft, the perpetrator must use the acquired personal information to obtain an advantage (Berghel, 2000). Techniques of gaining personal information There are various ways criminals can use to obtain personal information to use in identity theft. The information can be retrieved by stealing credit cards, rummaging through rubbish for personal information, advertising bogus jobs to obtain personal information and social engineering. Information technology has also made it possible for criminals to acquire personal information and the methods employed to acquire this information include hacking computer networks, abusing privileged IT access, impersonating trusted institutions in emails, the use of brute force techniques and exploiting social networks for personal information. Additionally, the information can be obtained from redundant information technology equipment and systems and stealing information from using breaches in the computers browser or using malware and Trojan horses (Smith & Lias, 2005). Types of identity theft There are generally five categories of identity theft and these are financial identity theft, medical identit... ... middle of paper ... ... to report incidences of identity theft to the responsible authorities in order to assist in investigating such occurrences (Finch, 2003). Reference list Berghel, H. (2000). Identity theft, social security numbers, and the web. Communications of the ACM, 43 (2), 17-21. Brody, R. G., Mulig, E., & Kimball, V. (2007). PHISHING, PHARMING AND IDENTITY THEFT. Academy of Accounting & Financial Studies Journal, 11 (3). Finch, E. (2003). What a tangled web we weave: Identity theft and the internet. Dot. Cons: Crime, Deviance, and Identity on the Internet. Cullompton, England: Willan Marshall, A. M., & Tompsett, B. C. (2005). Identity theft in an online world. Computer Law & Security Review, 21 (2), 128-137. Smith, A. D., & Lias, A. R. (2005). Identity theft and e-fraud as critical CRM concerns. International Journal of Enterprise Information Systems (IJEIS), 1 (2), 17-36
The Impact of Online Identity Theft on Consumers and Organizations Internet fraud has become a major issue due to the ever increasing population of internet users, because the internet is such an easy solution to fast sufficient services readily available for busy lives that’s is why most of us are now dependant on the internet in some shape or form and each time we use the internet we input data that are related to use from our name, address and even bank details with the assurance that the site is safe and trustworthy, but this is not always the case because the security system implemented like all things in this world has weaknesses.
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
The crime of Identity theft, or identity fraud as it is more appropriately called, occurs when an imposter obtains pieces of personal information used to identify a person- such as a name, address, social security number, credit card information etc. - and uses it to his advantage. A criminal with this information can commit financial fraud, or
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 is one of the fastest-growing crimes in both the US and abroad. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that identity theft costs consumers as much as $50 billion annually and that this number will likely keep growing (Finklea, 2010, p. 1). Additionally, the FTC receives in excess 250,000 consumer complaints of identity theft each year and this is believed to be only a fraction of the total number of victims (Finklea, 2010, p. 9). There are several types and methods of identity theft and these methods continue to increase as technology becomes increasingly sophisticated. Understanding the types and methods of identity theft can reduce potential victimization.
Identity theft is a serious growing issue in the United States. Why can’t identity theft be stopped? Too many crimes are being committed and it’s difficult to catch criminals. It would be difficult to handle cases, and over the past 5 years identity theft has increased. Most identity thefts happen over the phone or the Internet, which decreases the likeliness of the criminal being caught.
There are many things that officials must consider doing that would help prevent identity theft. For instance, provide a law enforcement response to high tech crime complaints 24 hours a day seven days a week. Knowledge, resources, and training should be shared among local law enforcement investigate agencies to prosecute Internet crime more effectively. Funding for a computer forensics lab, which will be essential for investigating and prosecuting Internet crimes, should be made available to legislation and should be enacted to help prosecute on-line crime. Finally, sentencing of this crime must also be put into perspective. One third of all identity theft offenders don?t even get sent to prison, and those who do, don?t even get lengthy terms. Representatives need to come up with legislation that would prosecute and fairly sentence criminals charged with identity theft because this crime surely is a victim?s crime. And remember, identity theft could happen to anyone, even to you.
The Internet plays the biggest role in identity theft. On the Internet, a thief can hide from detection while stealing peoples’ identities from their homes, being able to steal peoples’ information one by one “then disappearing into another identity,” (Vacca 60). Internet fraud consists of two phases. The first being spoofing where a fake site is set up made to look like the real thing. Once that is completed the second phase, phishing, begins. This usually starts with an email that uses the
Identity theft is an increasing epidemic. Some of the ways a person can commit identity
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
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.
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
The methods that criminals use to get identity from people are always changing. There are 3 particular categories that these methods can be divided into.The first category is information given away. This method is referred to as the easiest way to steal someones identity. This occurs when people simply just give away information like their address to strangers or when they are not safe online and their personal information can be accessible to anybody.The second category is known as offline methods.This category includes techniques like: dumpster diving, shoulder surfing, wallet or document theft, bogus phone call, skimming, pretexting and business record theft. The third category is refereed to as online methods. This includes ...
Lenard, Thomas I. “Identity Theft Is a Declining Problem.” Cyber Crime. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes.