The Ftc estimates that nearly 9 million Americans are victims of identity theft each year. Victims of identity theft can miss out on numerous opportunities in their lives due to having their identity stolen. Many victims can not find jobs or apply for prestige cards and loans since their prestige record is mostly negative after an identity theft. Identity theft is basically a term used to relate the illegal use of another person's identity. This can vary from one extreme to another but finally identity theft is the custom of using an identity other than your own, without permission, to commit fraud or crimes. Identity theft can take many forms, including: Financial Id Theft, Identity Cloning, and Business/Commercial Id Theft.
Financial Id Theft is when person uses another person's identity to purchase goods and/or services. The identity thief can use the victim's identity to gather prestige cards and other types of loans, or set up telephone and electricity services for their home. The next form of Id theft is Criminal Identity Theft, which is when a person is arrested and uses a stolen identity to pose as person else so that they are "innocent." This allows the person to evade capture and reason a new identity, at least for the time being. another form of Id theft, termed Identity Cloning is done by stealing someone's identity and using it as your own on a regular, day-to-day basis. This can be done with Government Documents Fraud which will allow the thief to get a collective security Card or even a Driver's License with the victim's facts but the thief's photograph, and many times coincides with Criminal Id Theft. A person may also use a business' name to gather prestige on their behalf, which is the case with Business/Commercial Identity Theft. These types of identity stealing are just some of the major forms a theft can take. Many other crimes along with illegal immigration, terrorism, espionage, and blackmail stem from identity theft.
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To gather the facts needed, an identity thief can employ the use of various techniques. An identity thief may research an individual via the internet, government records, or gain facts by stealing a person's identification card, or credit/debit cards. With the expanding popularity of collective networking sites and job quest engines, it is easy for an identity thief to find all the facts they need from a personal MySpace page or from a jobseekers resume. another tasteless practice, called dumpster diving, involves the thief stealing mail or other pieces of facts about a person by sifting through their trash, or taking facts from discarded equipment that has not been properly deleted, such as a personal computer. An identity thief may also "shoulder surf," which involves listening or peeking in on collective transactions, such as Atm withdrawals, to gain personal information.
As opposed to the old methods, cyber criminals evolve just as fast as contemporary technology allows them to. The increased use of technology has allowed an identity thief to steal your facts without ever seeing your face. A tasteless practice, called phishing, allows the cyber criminal to impersonate a trusted source or firm via electronic communications. Fake e-mails are sent out from legitimate seeing sources attempting to lure you into giving up personal information. Hackers and crackers can also gain passage to computer databases by using viruses and other such programs to steal facts off the servers. While this is a very technical, hands-on approach, a skilled cyber criminal can infiltrate a principles and steal personal information. Lastly, a thief can use skimming devices, which record prestige and debit card facts during transactions, to passage your prestige and bank accounts.
The risk of an identity theft is always lingering but minimizing that threat is your responsibility. Many times the thief is as a matter of fact person the victim knows very well. Be as safe as possible and avoid any risks that could endanger your identity. You can minimize this threat and prevent identity theft by always protecting your wallet or purse at all times, and especially do not leave it unattended. Do not carry an inordinate amount of cards, only identification and any prestige or debit cards you will be using. It is also leading to always safe your collective security amount and avoid carrying your card with you. Never allow a firm to use your collective security amount as a unique identifier. Instead they should be able to set up a extra account amount for you to reference. Also, never blurt out your collective security number. Instead, write it down and then take it back when the representative is done with it. Being very wary of your trash, mail, and e-mail is also something to focus on. Shred any papers with personal facts and opt-out of receiving prestige card offers and telemarketing calls. Never leave mail with personal facts in an unsecured location. You should always verify who you are speaking with. If the call seems suspicious hang up and call back one of the numbers you find on a bill or statement. If it as a matter of fact is your prestige card or utility firm needing to verify information, they will be glad to let you call back. The same goes for e-mails. If an e-mail seems strange, then manually type the Url of the firm instead of clicking a link.
With the dramatic increase in computer usage and ever-growing dependence on technology, it is leading to always take precautionary steps to avoid being victimized by a cyber criminal. Firstly, always use very complex passwords. Passwords should comprise a combination of upper- and lower-cased letters and numbers, and in some cases extra characters such as @#$%. If you can not memorize your passwords then write them down and keep them in a gather location. Next, you should always destroy the hard drive of a computer is you are discarding it or selling it. If you prefer online shopping, remember to always use prestige cards instead of debit. Debit cards will allow a thief to passage your bank account, which can not offer the same security as a prestige card. Also when shopping online, read the site's privacy policy, ensure all security certificates are updated, and used only secured networks for transactions. Lastly, always use a proxy server to surf the Internet. A inexpressive proxy server will mask your Ip address and allow you to surf the Internet without being tracked by Isps, marketing companies, and quest engines. These fellowships track your surfing habits and build databases with your information, which are bought and sold as needed. A proxy will also allow you to surf over an encrypted channel so that your data remains secured from anything spying on your connection.
Identity theft is a serious issue that most population feel will not work on them. Many population allow themselves to fall under the misconception that, "it will never happen to me." A victim of identity theft will take, on average, three months to survey that their identity has been stolen. With a three month head start the identity thief can clean out bank accounts, open fraudulent lines of credit, or even be arrested with your identity. Preventing identity theft falls squarely on the individual's shoulders. While many fellowships offer identity theft resources, ultimately, the individual must take a conscious step to avoid being a victim. A person must take the initiative and preemptively merge this facts into their everyday lives. The only person that can truly help you prevent and avoid identity theft is yourself.
Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft and Fraud
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