Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft Essay - 1745 Words

You come home late one night after a rough day at work. You’re hungry, tired, achy and all you want to do is lie down. You pick up the mail and notice a letter from a credit card company you don’t have a contract with. Slowly, you open the envelope, not knowing what to expect. Suddenly, pure terror fills you as you stare at a bill for over five thousand dollars. You reassure yourself and say this obviously must be some mistake. You never opened this credit card account, but yet it’s in your name and it is your address. You may not believe it, but your identity has been stolen and now someone is out there posing as you, running willy nilly around town with your life in hand. The truth is, there is almost nothing you can do once your†¦show more content†¦Reasons for Identity Theft changed over time and became more sophisticated as new forms of technology were introduced to the public. Now not only did people have the motive, but also the resources to take someone’s identity and money. 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. Phishing Phishing is the most common type of identity theft in the world. Thieves will send fake emails out to people saying there is a problem with their paypal or Amazon accounts. It claims that if they do not enter their account information in a timely manner, then their accounts will become frozen. It is not just emails regarding account information, but fake malicious websites are also created. These websites and emails scare people into giving their personal information, without even realizing what they have done before it is already too late. Richard Darell a writer for â€Å"Get Cyber Safe† claims that about 156 million phishing emails are sent out worldwide daily. He explains that 8 million of these emails will be opened and 10% of these emails have links that can beShow MoreRelatedIdentity Theft Essay832 Words   |  4 Pagesface in today’s society is stolen identity. Stolen identity can ruin the life of every citizen in the United States and foreign countries. According to Ballard, a journalist, who recognizes the Federal Trade Commission for capturing identity theft as the number one rank of consumer complaints (21). Out of ten million people, there will be one person who has been a victim of stolen identity. At birth, a child is given a social security number to distinguish them from other babies. In reality, the socialRead MoreOnline Identity Theft1414 Words   |  6 PagesOnline Identity Theft What is identity? The word itself can have so many connotations, definitions, and subjects tied to it. 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That same year, the Federal Trade Commission reported that identity theft crimes cost businesses and individuals an estimated $53 billionRead MoreIdenity Theft Essay1430 Words   |  6 Pagesestimated 11.7 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2010 (U.S. Dept. of Justice). Identity theft is defined as a crime where someone illegally acquires and utilizes another person’s vital information to deceive for personal gain. That same year, the Federal Trade Commission reported that identity theft crimes cost businesses and individuals an estimated $53 billion (Federal Trade Commission). Most Americans are familiar with identity theft but aren’t well-informed about the influence itRead MoreTips To Preventing Identity Theft Essay example551 Words   |  3 PagesHaving your identity taken away from you is a very difficult thing to handle. It could mean not being able to pay your bills or at the worst, not being able to obtain credit. Protecting your identity is the only way to prevent it from being stolen. Moreover, in this day and age, there are more thieves than ever. Therefore, knowing exactly how to protect the most precious thing to you is the only way you can keep it safe. Here are a few tips to prevent you from having your identity stolen. Tips Read MoreThe Crime Of Identity Theft3476 Words   |  14 PagesAccording to the Federal Trade Commission Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States of America. They estimated that 10 million people a year are victimized by the crime which comes out to about 19 people per minute are becoming victims of this crime. Given these extremely worrying statistics it has never been more important to be informed about the crime of identity theft and how to avoid it in your daily life especially as more schemes and ways to unknowingly forfeit yourRead MoreData Security Case Study748 Words   |  3 Pagesstored at your college? 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