Introduction
Identity theft has not had a clear definition. The unclear definition is due to the complexity of the facts regarding identity theft. Identity theft, also known as ‘the crime of the new millennium’ or white color theft has come to the public eyes due to the impacts of the act (Craats, 2005). Identity theft occurs when a person misappropriates another person’s information and uses it with the intention of gaining some particular advantages. In this case, a person means not only a human being but also a legal person such as a company (Craats, 2005). In most cases, the advantage gained is financial, for example, presuming identity of a person, taking their credit card and through deception, withdrawing money from their accounts. In U.S, the federal law defines identity theft as ‘knowingly transferring, holding, or using, without authorized right, a way of identification of another individual with the intent to undertake, aid any illegal activity that includes violation of Federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any national or local law.’ Identity theft has been said to be made easier due to globalization and lack of cyber borders (Giles 2010). Lack of cyber borders provides a ripe environment for identity thieves to function from within the state 's borders as well as from beyond.
Abstract As the definition states, identity theft takes two processes. The first process is collection of information followed by fraudulent use of the information.
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.
However, what exactly is considered modern identity theft? Identity Theft is when a criminal uses someone else’s identification documents such as social security number, drivers license, tax documents, birth certificate, bank statements and many other forms of identification in order to impersonate them. Once someone has this information there are a number of ways in which they could use it and a number of ways in which they can obtain it.
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
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.
Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act is a federal law established in 1998 that protects people from identity theft. Prior to this date there were not any specific laws to address this issue. The definition on the Federal Trade Commission’s website reads. “knowingly transfers or uses, 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 or local law;”
Identity theft is a type of fraud that involves using someone else's identity to steal money or gain other benefits. as of yet,
The most common depiction of identity theft is the robbery of personal information for someone else’s monetary gain. Based on a range of information gathered from public and private resources, “Approximately 15 million United States residents have their identities used fraudulently each year (Douglas).” Although literal identity theft can have substantial monetary consequences for its victims, figurative identity theft can have even greater ramifications for those that suffer from having their individuality, identity and self-confidence taken away from them.
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
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).
By definition “Identity theft n. the dishonest acquisition of personal information in order to perpetrate fraud, typically by obtaining credit, loans, etc., in someone else's name; fraud perpetrated in this way. ” (dictionary.oed.com, 2007). It’s estimated that 9 million Americans have had their identities stolen each year. “According to the Secret Service, its investigations show a jump in potential losses due to identity theft, from $851 million in 1998 to $1.4 billion in 2000.” add citation from how stuff works There are many ways that thieve steal your identity, they may go through your trash, steal your wallet or purse. I will discuss a lot of the different ways in more
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 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
Especially in today?s times anyone can be a victim of identity theft. It is a crime that can happen anywhere at any
“Identity theft: the fraudulent practice of using another person's name and personal information to obtain credit, loans, etc.” In 2014, there were around 95,000 reports of identity theft in the UK alone. However, that enormous figure rose even further in 2015 to a spine-chilling 148,000 - causing identity theft to rise by 58% in one year alone. Someone new becomes a target every day. Every day, someone loses their individuality. Every day, someone gains an online twin. These so-called
The United States Department of Justice defines Identity Theft and Fraud as, “… terms used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain” (U.S. Department of Justice, 2012). An individual’s personal data such as: Social Security number, bank account information, credit card numbers, or telephone calling card number¬ may be used by criminals to personally profit at your expense. In many cases, a victim's loss not only includes out-of-pocket financial losses, but substantial additional financial costs and time repairing and correcting credit histories and erroneous information. To assist with my research for this paper, I chose two books written from different perspectives. First, I sought out a book to provide a comprehensive review of identity theft history; methods used to steal identities, consequences of having your identity stolen, and prevention techniques from an individual or business perspective. Next, after developing a strong baseline on identity theft, I searched for a reference book which offers a comprehensive review of the concepts of computer crimes, relevant laws, and methods practiced by investigators to trace, capture and persecute identity theft