The Federal Trade Commission estimates that about 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. In most cases the victims have no clue their identity has been compromised until they view a credit statement or are contacted by a debt collector. Depending on the type of theft that takes place, identity theft could take years to repair. Leaving the victim with ruined credit and mounds of bills to pay. Money is not the only thing lost with identity theft, other losses may include loss of employment, rejection for loans, and the possibility of being arrested for a crime the victim did not commit.
Identity Theft begins with the misuse of personal information by the victim. Thieves can obtain this information in a number of ways such as: Dumpster Diving, Skimming a credit card number with a special storage device, Changing the victims address to another location, Old Fashioned Stealing, and Pretexting. Pretexting is the use of false pretenses to obtain your personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies and other sources.
There are many ways to avoid identity theft. Awareness is the first and most important step. You should be aware of how information can be stolen and know how to protect yours. Monitor your personal information and know what to do when you suspect your information has been compromised. The United States Department of Justice uses SCAM. Be Stingy. Be careful about who you give your info to. Check your financial info regularly. Ask periodically for a copy of credit bureau report. And Maintain careful records.
For more information about Identity Theft and ways to protect yourself:
http://www.5identitytheftprotection.com/
I am astound at how extensive Identity theft has become. People use to just steal credit cards and social security numbers but after visit your websites I have realized that people are basically becoming another person. To change addresses and abuse utility service is extreme.
ReplyDeleteIdentity theft is one of the major computer crimes we experience today. There are more businesses and services that are encouraging protection such as insurance, recovery, and security services for identity theft. This is proof of often it occurs and its severity. I think frequent monitoring financial statements and credit card statements are definitely the primary ways to catch misconduct early on before things get out of hand. Also using the services of companies who are focused on protecting you as their customer is extremely helpful as well. My bank will not let any usual transactions take place on my account without auditing it first. It can be annoying to have these pendings and hold but I believe with the crime rate in our society today, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Brittney 350Group2
Identity theft really is a serious problem today. Where do these 9 million criminals come from if 9 million Americans have experienced identity theft? I found out that some might actually be working undercover at places that are actually legitimate businesses. I saw on a local news article that there are increasing cases of restaurant waiters who have little card swipe machines in their pockets which they use to quickly upload and save card information while the customer thinks they are actually just waiting for their bill to be paid for after a meal. This is very scary. AJ Dikeman
ReplyDeleteThat is scary! If 9 million people in just America fell victim to identity theft, could you imagine how many there are worldwide? It's enough to make you over paranoid and not trust anyone or anything.
ReplyDeleteThe really sad thing is that no one ever thinks it can/will happen to them. And no matter how careful you are you're never completely protected. The best anyone can do is to be as careful as they can and check on their stuff regularly. One good thing that some credit card companies do (Discover does it for sure) is that if you make a large purchase that is out of the ordinary they will send you alerts and let you know that something may be going on. Also, if you travel with it somewhere you don't normally go they will usually shut your card down unless you let them know ahead of time. That's at least one thing to help keep us protected, even if we don't do much ourselves.
ReplyDeleteIdentify theft is really an issue because so many people are affected by it. It is sad that people have to be so cautious about who they give their information to and where they lay down things because if your identify is stolen then you credit would be ruined and you have to work extra hard to repair your credit if you even can repair it. People should take the necessary step to prevent identify theft that is recommended. Charolette
ReplyDeleteIdentity theft is on the rise, and it is consider the fastest growing crime in US today. Understanding how identity theft works and taking precautions, we can reduce our chances of becoming the victim. I will keep SCAM in mind. :)
ReplyDeletePanadda
Technology has many pros but it also has many cons associated with it.I think that technology has made it easier for people to steal others identity.I think that making people more aware of this crime will help this crime become less of a problem. Now I understand why my om spreads all of her "important" papers! I think that SCAM is a good start for people to start in become aware of this crime. I know I will pay closer attention from now on.
ReplyDeleteIdentity theft is steady increasing. I work as a mortgage consultant and I encounter many individuals who have been a victim of identity theft. Majority of these situations have within legitimate establishment. When trying to authenicate customers, they are afraid to provide their information because they believe they may become the next victim. Wow! What a society we live in!
ReplyDelete