...Abstract The Federal Trade Commission considers identity theft to be the fastest growing crime in the country. The Internet has become a hot zone for attracting identity theft thieves to steal personal information. Identity theft is divided into four basic areas – financial identity theft, criminal identity theft, identity cloning and business and commercial identity theft. Criminals obtain our personal information through methods such as using an insider, dumpster diving, computer hacking, war driving, phishing and pre-texting. The Department of Justice prosecutes identity theft under federal statutes. Congress passed the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, Title 18 United States Code 1028 in 1998. One of the most noted identity theft cases was USA v. Cummings. The largest hacking and identity theft case ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice involved eleven people who stole more than forty million credit and debit card numbers. To severely curtail on identity theft, President Bush mandated Executive Order 13402 called the Identity Theft Task Force. Identity theft causes immeasurable damage to peoples’ names and reputations. Greater awareness and education will help us to combat identity theft. Identity Theft It’s a nightmare that can leave an unsuspecting person feeling violated and vulnerable. It doesn’t care who you are or where you live. Gender, race and age are totally irrelevant. In this modern technological age, it is a crime that can realistically...
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...Identity Theft James Middleton AIU Online Abstract In this paper we will discuss identity theft. What is identity theft, what are some of the more common ways that people have become victims to identity theft? We will discuss how the law has changed and what the law has accomplished. Also how the law now protects the victim. Identity Theft What is identity theft; which is often referred to as identity fraud, which refers to all types id crime involving someone wrongfully obtain and uses another person’s personal data in some way that involves deception (findlaw.com, n.d.). By definition of the Identity Theft & Assumption Deterrence Act (ITAD) of 1998, specified that it is a federal crime to knowing transfer or use without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abed any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of Federal law, or constitutes a felony under any applicable state or local law (OVC, 2010). If a person steals another person’s identity but does not cause any monetary damage has a crime been committed? I would have to say yes, based on the definition of the ITAD Act. You transfer or use another person’s identity with the intent to commit a crime and you are caught; yes it is a crime. The most common ways to commit identity theft, is either to listen to someone’s conversation while they are giving out a credit card number over the phone, by “dumpster diving” when they can obtain...
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...been a victim of identity theft. What is identity theft you ask? It is a form of fraud or cheating of another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name. According to the national association of the attorneys general, “Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation with an estimated 700,000 victims each year and after the victim discovers their theft, they spend an average of 808 dollars to clear up the discrepancies along with 175 hours approx. Restoring their reputation by means of notifying the credit bureaus, cancelling cards, and negotiating with creditors (2006.) Currently those numbers are now even higher at 1,495 dollars in expenses and 609 hours to clean up credit”. Identity theft happens all the time. This is partly caused because of who you trust and what you put on the internet. In the paragraphs to come we will get into the types and stages of identity theft, who it affects and how you can protect yourself. According to the NIJ (National Institute of Justice), there are seven broad types of identity theft and three stages. The Seven stages are exploiting weakness in specific technologies and information system, financial scams, a motive for other crimes, facilitating other crimes, avoiding arrest, repeat victimization (“classic” identity theft), and organized identity theft. The three stages...
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...he said yes. The lady commanded him to pay the money as soon as possible or she would involve the police. Peter realized that he may have identity theft, and with that thought he never went back to sleep. "Identity theft occurs when an unauthorized person obtains another's name and a piece of critical identifying information about that person such as a credit card or bank account number, social security number or driver's license number. With these two pieces of information, someone can open credit card accounts in someone else's name and go on spending sprees for personal items or for things that can easily be sold. When bills are not paid, the delinquent account shows up on that person's credit report. The identity thief can change the mailing address on the victim's credit card account thus delaying the discovery of the theft. The imposter then runs up big bills on the victim's account, and since they are being sent to the new address, one would have no way of knowing any of this was going on” ( Poster, 119). Identity theft is one of the biggest and most costly crimes committed today. Every second of the day someone’s identity is stolen. This often results in a person losing almost everything including their most valuable asset, their name. However, who pays for all of the transactions and purchases? Who is the actual victim? What...
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...Final Paper: Medical Identity Theft at Molina Healthcare, Inc. Barlahan, Andrei ID B00459963 Brandman University Define the Problem Medical Identity theft has become an increasing problem in the United States and continues to negatively impact millions of individuals. Medical identity theft usually occurs when individuals share their information with someone else, who in turn uses that information to receive medical services and fill for prescriptions. Other times, individuals lose their medical card or have their information stolen by a friend or close relative. According to a 2013 survey conducted by the Medical Identity Fraud Alliance (MIFA), medical identity fraud has increased nearly 20 percent compared to the year before in the U.S., affecting an estimated 1.84 victims and having a total out-of-pocket medical costs incurred by medical identity theft victims of $12.3 billion (DeGaspari, 2013). This is a serious problem, because not only are millions of dollars wasted, but patient medical records are compromised, which can result to misdiagnoses, wrong procedures and treatment, and wrong prescriptions. On a smaller scale, Molina Healthcare’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) conduct investigations on referrals they receive indicating a Molina member may have been a victim of identity theft. A lot of times when the issue is actually identity theft, the SIU is only able to “band-aid” the problem and have found the issue resurfacing months later and Molina continuing...
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...gov/news-events/press-releases/2015/02/identity-theft-tops-ftcs-consumer-complaint-categories-again-2014 http://blog.fraudfighter.com/bid/94512/Aug-14-2013-Identity-Theft-The-Fastest-Growing-Crime-in-America How can I prevent identity theft? Some of the things you can do and not a victim yet is to monitor your credit and keeping your information safe. We talked about not only making sure your information is safe when you’re out in the public, such as only carrying one credit card when you really need it, not carrying your social security card and birth certificate just to name a few, We don’t need to have these things with us everyday. Just keep the common things you need with you every day, like your drive’s license, one credit card, just to be safe. Don’t carry your checking account if you don’t need to write a check because again someone could take that information and really start writing checks that aren’t yours and can start causing a lot of damage down the road. Another things is when you’re checking credit, make sure that you’re checking it on a regular basis. You can get one free copy of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus each year. So if you want to check that systematically, you could pull your first one from Equifax, and then three or four months later pull the next one from Experian, and then three or four months later pull the next one from Trans Union. So keeping up to date with what’s going on is key when preventing or avoiding identity theft. Another thing...
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...How Identity Theft Affect the Culture of our Society Sections I, II, III and IV Rodrekus Baskin DeVry University How Identity Fraud and Theft Impact the Culture of Our Society Section I 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 identity theft works or happens, one need to know and understand what identity theft is, the different forms of identity theft, cyber security and the impact on its victims, the methods used by identity thieves to obtain identifying information about their victims, and preventive solutions. How Identity Theft Affect the Culture of Our Society A single mother looking forward to advancing her financial situation comes across what appears to be the opportunity she has been waiting for. A real estate agent has provided her with the fortune of owning her own home and without skepticism of any impending dangers or foul play, even though he displayed what appeared to be proper credentials, she relinquished all of her personal data...
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...Identity Theft Abstract This research paper will examine what is known about identity theft. The paper begins with defining the crime and its background, followed by a review of the patterns and incidences of identity theft. This review will include data on the extent and costs of this crime. Discussion will then focus on victims and perpetrators of identity theft. Common techniques used by identity thieves will be explored along with tips to protect consumers and businesses from having their identities stolen or data breached. Legislation in place to prevent and prosecute identity theft will be discussed. How to report identity theft is also explained. Defining Identity Theft The U.S. Department of Justice defines identity theft, also called identity fraud, as “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, 2015). Identity thieves use personal data such as Social Security numbers, bank account or credit card numbers to personally profit at the victim’s expense. These breaches allow thieves to take funds out of bank accounts or in the worst cases, take over a victim’s identity completely, running up huge debts and committing crimes using the victim’s name. Victims not only suffer the out-of-pocket financial losses, but they may have to rebuild their reputation in the community due...
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...Identity Theft Introduction Today, the United States is facing an ever-growing number of identity theft crimes. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), nearly 10 million Americans suffered the consequences of this crime in 2004, and the commission received more than 5,000 telephone calls per week related to identity theft in 2005. According to the FTC(2006) most victims of identity theft are quite unaware of how their personal information was obtained. Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information and uses it without your permission. It’s a serious crime that can wreak havoc with your finances, credit history, and reputation and can take time, money, and patience to resolve. (Identity Theft/ Consumer Information). The sharing of information on transaction identities is necessary for operation of these payment systems. However, this information sharing can facilitate fraud in the form of identity theft. Information sharing can also create conflicts of interest that may not be easily resolved through the operation of the marketplace. Thoughtful public policy should be aimed at resolving these conflicts. The ultimate goal of regulation should not be absolute privacy of consumers or complete suppression of identity theft, but instead the promotion of efficient confidentiality of personal information . Too much white space. What is Identity Theft? Identity theft is a crime when someone without permission uses of another person’s...
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...Easy Measures for Increasing Identity Theft Protection Introduction Imagine getting ready to purchase a home. Your family has outgrown the house you are currently living in, and a bigger home would be a perfect fit for your family. Since you have owned your home for many years and made your payments on time (along with your other bills), you feel applying for a home loan will be easy. With banks offering lower interest rates and trying to obtain business from customers, now is the time (you feel) to apply for a home loan. You walk into the bank and meet with the local loan officer. After explaining your financial and work situation, the loan officer provides an interest rate and term on a home loan. You find the home loan favorable and wish to proceed with the home loan. The loan officer is happy to proceed and explains that a credit report will need to be pulled. You agree to have your credit report pulled, as you feel your credit score is in good shape. The loan officer pulls your credit report and you see a look of concern come across his face. The loan officer prints your credit report and proceeds to tell you that due to your high debt, failure to make payments, and low credit score; the bank cannot offer you a loan. You now have this look of horror on your face as you do not know how you have late payments, your debt is high, and your credit score is low. You ask to see your credit report. When you review the credit report, you realize these unpaid, high-balance...
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...potential victims of identity theft through text messaging and what to look for in case you may or have fallen victim for bogus text messages. It also gives you a list of things such as offers for gift cards and free gifts that you may have won out of nowhere. Also this article explains the dangers of clicking on unfamiliar websites that will download malware on to your system unknowingly if you click on it. The Price of Identity Theft . (2013). Retrieved from http://www.identitytheftfacts.com/articles/price-of-identity-theft/ “How thoroughly you manage to recover from an incident of identity theft depends how quickly you get things moving. Delays can cost you big bucks, but decisive action can save your bacon” This article talks about the steps you should take in order to protect yourself and your information. It also explains the different emotional side effects people experience after identity theft. Child Identity Theft. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.identitytheftfacts.com/articles/child-identity-theft-2013/ Already rampant and increasing in frequency of occurrence, child identity theft represents an attractive form of fraud, because crooks can take out credit in their victim's name and have it go without notice for years. This article shows parents valuable ways to secure their child’s future and information that normally goes unnoticed until they reach the age of 18 by then it’s too late. Singletary, M. (2013, Jan 20). In the age of identity theft, you need a friend...
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...How are identity thieves operating to get your identity and what can they do with it? First it is important to know what identity theft is and then understand the way thieves manage to steal your identity. It’s a crime that happens when “someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.” (Identity Theft, The United States Department of Justice), in other words: when someone uses other one’s identity to take advantage of it without any liability on his or her name. On the other hand there are various ways in which people can access to your valuable information, sometimes they are simple techniques and other times more sophisticated methods. The statistics on identity thefts, and also what is being done to prevent it, are two significant factors to be analyzed and see how secure we are now days. Identity theft is not a recent phenomenon, it has been happening for a long time but not at the same level as now. In the 1930’s when alcohol was legalized again, underage people wanted to consume alcohol and created “fake ID’s” that we still see today. Of course this was not the only use for these fake documents. Later on the purpose of having a fake ID’s wasn’t just for buying alcohol, but also for creating other fake documents such as migratory documents (passports and residence permits). The immigration laws were the cause of innumerable people trying to fake documents so they could stay...
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...Technology help Criminals Commit Identity Theft? Identity theft is becoming one of the fastest growing criminal offenses in the United States. Identity theft is a form of stealing someone's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name (Kiesbye). It is important for one to know that identity theft is not just a financial crime. It is a serious crime that can cause havoc on finances, credit history, and reputation. Identity theft can go unnoticed and can take time, money, and patience to resolve. Technology is constantly evolving making identity theft an easier crime to commit (Kiesbye). There are several ways in which technology plays a major role in assisting criminals commit identity theft (Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News). Some ways include computer hacking, telephone bugging, and old-fashioned stealing. Identity theft has become a very serious business for criminals (Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News). . Identity theft has been around for a number of years. The term identity theft was coined in 1964 however it does not mean to steal an identity but rather to impersonate another individual to commit fraud or deception (Vacca). Identity theft is not easily detectable by the individuals. Someone can steal or misappropriate personal information without the individual knowing then commit identity theft using the stolen information...
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...Identity Theft + Fraud= Identity Crime 20 December 2007 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 crime that is affecting many Americans, the costs are well in the millions every year, but with a little bit of knowledge and adaptive common practices, you can help fight back and minimize your chances of becoming the next victim of Identity theft. Identity theft is as predictable as a giant storm; you really don’t know what the damage will be until it passes and many victims don’t even see it coming until its already too late. So what is identity theft? According to the webpage article “about identity theft,” the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (2007) writes that “identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal identifying information, like your name, SSN… without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes.” (para 1) All it takes...
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...Avoiding Identity Theft Gary Lee Kaplan University CM 220 Kelley Gordon Avoiding Identity Theft Ben Franklin once said “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” Well this has never been truer than in today’s hi-tech society where our personal information flows freely over the internet. Identity theft has become a wide-spread crime committed by thieves who use stolen personal information to commit various types of fraud. Simply put, identity theft is a crime that takes your personal information and uses it to open unauthorized accounts, make purchases and acquire loans without the victim’s knowledge. So in order to protect against identity theft citizens should understand how identity thieves work, guard their personal information, and learn what measures to take if this does happen to them. No one is safe from identity theft but the elderly are especially vulnerable. Americans over the age of 60 are the fastest growing segment of computer and Internet users today. And according to the FBI, they are also the targets of identity theft more often than anyone else (FBI, 2011). Identity thieves target senior citizens because they don't regularly check credit-card statements, review credit reports or monitor their bank statements. Identity theft can be broken down into two separate categories (Identity Theft & Identity Fraud) since it is actually a two part crime. Identity theft is the actual act of obtaining personal information...
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