The term identity theft first appeared in the American language around 1996 and, its earliest reference pertains to a lobby of the US Federal Trade Commission that regulates the criminal abuse of a consumer’s “means of identification”. Consumers were more and more concerned with financial crimes that exploited their credit worthiness and, were used to commit loan fraud, mortgage fraud, lines-of-credit fraud and much more. A common

thread that ran in most of these identity theft crimes was that lenders as well as vendors relied on shared use of highly centralized national credit-rating services and, combined with centralization of financial services, along with the emerging national retail outlets that did not require personally knowing their customers, helped criminals in devising new methods of defrauding consumers.

Check Kiting, Fraudulently Using Credit Cards and, More

There are other identity theft crimes such as check kiting, running amok with personal savings accounts as well as theft and fraudulently using credit cards. The term identity theft morphed it to include a greater range of identification based crimes. What was once dead beat dads avoiding their financial obligations rapidly changed its face to include money laundering, trafficking in human beings and also manipulating stock markets and, even found its way into terrorism? Identity theft generates a certain amount of confusion when trying to reconcile the term with a crime. Though it is not possible to steal a person’s identity in a pure linguistic sense, it is possible to steal their means of identification as well as their identifying documents. Identity theft may also be thought of as being a term to describe exploitation of means of identification for unlawful purposes. 

With technology readily available for producing forged identification documents, the onset of identity theft related crimes has grown and, criminals use stolen identification to clone others and conceal their true identity from authorities. Crimes such as illegal immigration, terrorism as well as espionage are areas where identity theft plays an important role and, it may also be used for blackmail. Cases of identity theft that involve cloning another person can be used to attack payment systems such as getting hold of medical treatment and, unlike credit-dependent financial crimes, these crimes do not readily reveal themselves and, may continue for indeterminate amounts of time, escaping detection all the time.

Identity theft is made possible by unlawfully acquiring legally attributed personal identification and, in the case of consumers, it can be attributed to personal naivety when gullible people provide their personal information to thieves or are careless with such information. The need to guard zealously one’s personal information cannot be stressed enough and, one will pay the penalty if one is lax in this matter.

Being a victim of identity theft can be an emotionally draining as well as confusing event which becomes worse if one is unaware of the procedures to follow for taking remedial action. It may often require reporting identity theft to a number of agencies that include local, state as well as federal agencies, all of whom may be involved in

investigating the particular instance of identity theft. It is vitally important to understand as well as know whom to call so that one can act quickly so as to significantly impact the future course of investigating the crime. Before one reports identity theft, one needs to understand that one’s identity has been stolen. There is no point in jumping to conclusions since law enforcement agencies only want hard facts. This means taking time to gather information so as to be able to reasonably determine whether one is truly a victim of identity theft or not. Next, one should determine how the identity was stolen and, providing details regarding the same would help law enforcements in their investigations.

One should also have all relevant documentation such as bank statements, credit reports, Social Security Earnings Report as well as other documentations which will help establish one’s claim.

Keep Close Track of Your Personal Information

To report identity theft, one need to contact the local law enforcement who have the jurisdiction to handle the case where local or state laws have been broken. In addition, identity theft is a federal offence. It may also be prudent to report identity theft online with the Federal Trade Commission who will then share the information with the concerned law enforcement agencies. It may not be known by many people but, the United States Postal Service has their own enforcement division and, United States Postal inspectors are federal law enforcement agents that are empowered to investigate cases of postal offenses. One can contact them and report identity theft, if the thief has used the postal service for illegal means.

The Social Security Administration Office is also able to receive as well as handle allegations pertaining to violations of the law that affect Social Security Administration. In case one’s social security number has been lost or stolen, this is the concerned agency to contact to report identity theft. In the case of phishing, one may call the FBI Internet Fraud Complaint Center and, filing an online report will alert the authorities to suspected fraudulent activities and they are a central repository for receiving complaints pertaining to internet fraud. Reporting identity theft is the first step in the long journey that victims will travel on in order to clear their names.

Credit identity theft is becoming a growing concern, which can create a lot of unnecessary frustration and aggravation that can be avoided if you take a few basic steps to ensure that your identity and credit cards are always handled safely. Here you will find a few steps to guarding you identity and credit cards in order to avoid the possibility of credit identity theft in the future. The people who are targeted are the ones that are in a hurry usually with many packages in hand at the grocery store, post office or bank and are trying to do everything on the run as they generally forget the most important thing, wallet, credit card or the form where they wrote down all their details from which the credit identity theft can be done with ease. Older folks are also the targets of credit identity thieves, as they tend to forget or misplace things more often.

However, the most popular place of credit identity theft is the Internet where hackers will get into your account and thus find out all your personal details from name, address to social security number and bank account. Internet is a place where everyone is targeted irrelevant of the age group.

How to Prevent Credit Identity Theft

The only way to prevent credit identity theft is to safe guard your credit cards by placing them in your bag directly or a place other then your wallet/purse in order not to be tempted to forget it on the counter when you pay and/or if your purse/wallet is stolen you will not loose everything. Keep photocopies of your credit cards, driver’s license and any other document that you carry in your wallet or purse. On your computer you must have security installed that will create special firewall for phishing and hacking your personal data especially if you do your banking on the computer.

In Case You Are a Victim of Credit Identity Theft

The first thing you must to do is report what you lost such as credit cards or if you observed a charge that was done on your credit card, which you did not make. Ask your bank to keep a watch on your credit card expenses and you do as well and if another item gets charged which you are not aware about cancel you card right away; your bank may suggest you cancel you card as soon as you report a charge that you have not done anyway. Keep handy your bank phone numbers so you can call them from wherever you are, in case you are on a trip and not in your own home.

The history of identity theft goes long back before computer era. There are millions of examples where embezzlement of money had been carried out by bank functionaries using the information they had at their disposal regarding the bank clients. Then there were takeovers of personal property, companies, etc through misuse of circumstances when power of attorney was given to someone trusted. The history of identity theft will also bear

witness to fraudulent withdrawal of cash by falsification of signature on the checks, traveling under other people’s names, obtaining insurance money under other people’s names, and so on. Though people think that identity theft is something new and what developed in the wake of computerization, it is clear if you look into the history of identity theft carefully, that this crime was around since a very long time ago. Yes, the computerization and the advancement in technology made it easier, since access to people’s identity and manipulation of such identity for personal gains is now just a click of mouse away.

How People Gain Access to Your Personal Information

The sources are not new; the crime is not new; yes, in some cases the methods might be new. As mentioned a little earlier, history of identity theft covers all the areas from where personal information was stolen before. As a matter of fact, some reports say that about 65% of the identity thefts that take place today are still based on information obtained without the help of computers. It is easy to pilfer information, which can be later used as material for identity theft. Some sources are listed below:

1. Records that is available to them during the course of their job – nurses for medical records, bank employees for financial records, insurance employees for insurance records, and so on.

2. Information can be stolen from your mail (by accessing your mailbox) where your credit card statements are sent, where your new checkbooks can be intercepted. It is easy to steal one’s identity with the help of this information.

3. As it is mentioned in the history of identity theft, the commonest source for information is the humble dustbin.  The papers you throw in there contain vital information, which can be used by those interested to take over your identity with ease.  This could be from your ATM slip, your credit card statements, your checkbook stubs, your old and expired credit card, and so on.

There are many ways in which identity theft can be carried out. Your credit cards can be used, your social security number could be used to get a job, your bank account and credit record could be used for loans and mortgages and so on.  And there is the medical identity theft which involves the use of your name in relation to medical activities.

Some Examples of Medical Identity Theft

1. Cashing is the medical insurance – you find yourself in an emergency where you have to be rushed to the hospital for medical attention. While filling out the formalities you are informed that, your insurance has just been cashed in and that your present procedure cannot be covered anymore under it. Stunned, you try to remember whether you had indeed anything to do with any hospital or medical procedure in the recent past and come up with nothing. You are a victim of medical identity theft.

2.  You are hospitalized for some reason or other and your records show high abuse of controlled substances.  You are put under observation and you are in danger of being reported and treated for drug abuse, when tests reveal that you have a clean chit, everyone realize that you have been a victim of medical identity theft. 

3. You are a doctor and all of a sudden, you find yourself under strict scrutiny and investigation. Later you find that your prescription paper has been used to gain access to extremely dangerous drugs. It takes a great deal of effort and perseverance to clear your name from this type of a problem.  You are a victim of medical identity theft.

4. A close relative is dead. However, you find that all of a sudden that the person is “alive” since there are bank transactions in his/her name, and other signs that he/she is alive. This happens when a person manages to obtain the last medical records form the hospital where a people die, and by clever manipulation, the person can take over the deceased identity.  This too can be termed as a medical identity theft.

Like this, there are many ways and instances where the medical identity can be stolen. It usually happens when you give easy access to outsiders to medical bills, medical appointment cards, and medical records by leaving them in full view of strangers – for example on your study table. At that time, it may take anyone only a few seconds to note the essential details and then cash on it through medical identity theft.

While there is currently no available guarantee that you will never be the victim of identity theft there are methods you can take to both reduce the probability and make you aware of it when it happens. An identity theft shield can be placed on your accounts to notify you of questionable activities.

Unless you review your credit reports from all three of major reporting agencies on a regular basis, it could be months before you learn about an incidence of identity theft. A person, with enough of your personal information, could change your mailing address when they open new charge accounts and you would never receive any of the bills that the thief is not paying. An identity theft shield would notify you of any information reported to the credit agency, including the change of address.

Currently, there are several pre-paid legal services offering this type of service as well with credit report notification being part of their program, as well as helping with the legal aspects of repairing any damages that may be done as a result of identity theft. Their identity theft shield services would protect both before and after a theft.

Automatic Vigilance Provides Security

Keeping a constant eye on your credit report, looking for the little things that will notify you that a theft may have taken place, is about the only sure means of keeping track of your information. This will take time as well as the understanding of what to look for on your part. An identity theft shield program claims to be able to do this automatically. In addition, the identity theft shield will not only notify you, when you submit that you did not authorize a change or a new account, steps will be taken to eliminate it, as well as pursue the person responsible.

For example, you are notified by the identity theft shield that a new credit card has been issued in your name. You know you did not open one and notify the service of this fact. The card will be cancelled immediately, removing you from responsibility of any charges made on the card and the authorities will be notified of the theft of your identification.

Without any identity theft shield protection, if the new credit card bill is sent to a different address, it could be months and thousands of dollars of debt before you find out that a claim has been issued against you for unpaid credit card debt.

being used without authorization. It all starts with your every day activities, and more specifically, your everyday online activities. With the emergence of online shopping, banking, bill paying, and stock market surfing we have made our personal credit card information even more accessible to thieves. Some sites do provide a certain amount of built-in security to help prevent credit card identity theft. Sometimes their efforts just aren’t enough, and this is where you take the next steps to protecting your information and yourself from credit card identity theft.

Keep Your Personal Information Private

Your first action should be to make a list of all your credits cards, their numbers, fraud emergency numbers listed on the back, and keep this list in a safe place in your home.  This will enable you to respond quickly when the theft is realized. The next step would be to restrict your credit card purchases online to vendors and companies that you know and trust. If it looks like a small, or family owned business, perhaps consider sending a money order for your purchase of the goods. The final of the three easiest steps to take in protecting yourself from credit card identity theft is smart password management. Most people, as dangerous as it sounds, have the same password for all of their online activities. This is an overlooked and dangerous risk that leaves you open to credit card identity theft.

With only a few major email companies in the market and a few more major banks that people bank with, your password should be your first and most powerful protection against credit card identity theft. Keep a note pad, or piece of paper near your computer, and list your passwords to all of your online financial and personal information web logins. Just imagine if your house key unlocked your car, which could open a vault with all your money in it. If someone takes your one key, you just lost your car, your personal property, and your money in one crime. Protect yourself from credit card identity theft.  Move away from the mentality that “it will never happen to me”, and adopt a new thought process, “I’d like to see them try”.

Computer identity theft is a growing problem facing consumers, as more and more people are turning to the Internet for their shopping needs. Predators are using the power of the Internet to steel the information from unsuspecting victims. Computer identity theft usually starts with an e-mail. The e-mail is sent from what looks to be a reputable agency or business that the person has reason to deal with, such as the IRS, Ebay, or a credit card company. The e-mail tells the reader that something has happened to them, such as an audit or a problem with their credit card, and all they need to do is respond to the e-mail with their information, or Social Security number, and the problem will be fixed.

The minute the consumer responds to this e-mail, the computer identity theft begins. The scammer immediately begins to use their identity online to make purchases, clear bank accounts, and even take out loans. The sad truth about identity theft is that the person whose identity is used to make the fraudulent purchases is often responsible for them. This can lead to financial disaster, particularly for people who are in a dangerous place financially.

Why It Works

One of the reasons that computer identity theft works so well is that the e-mails look official. Sometimes they even redirect the consumer to a site that looks exactly like they would expect the site to look. They also make the consumer feel as though if they do not do something about the information in the e-mail, their account will be in serious jeopardy, or an expensive charge will be made to their account that they did not intend. The sense of urgency created by computer identity theft is one reason why it is so successful.

How to Protect Yourself

To protect yourself from computer identity theft, start by installing an anti-spy ware program on your computer. Run it before doing any financial work online. This program will scan your computer for programs that record your personal information and send it to a third party. Remove these programs before you do anything online that could give your personal information away.

Second, do not click on e-mails that look like they are from a company or agency, no matter how official. Instead, type in the address of the e-mail and put in your password. This ensures that you will not be taken for a ride, because you know the website address of the company.

Finally, only do online business with secure sites. Never give your social security address out over the Internet. These two tips will go a long way to keeping you safe from computer identity theft.

Identity theft is easily one of the most prevalent and common of crimes of the twenty-first century.  If you were looking for a definition of identity theft, a narrow one would say any type of personification of yourself by another person, for any type of personal gratification is called identity theft. This could be done in a many ways, three of the most common of which are described below. The broad definition of identity theft will include the details of what and how

such impersonation can be done; what could be the cost of it in terms of cash, mental trauma, and even freedom. The definition of identity theft, as in the example of criminal identity theft (when you can get on the wrong side of the law, for not fault of yours – simply because someone managed to put the pieces together and uses/used your identity) can be far more serious than being left bankrupt.

It could implicate you in murder and other such heinous crimes without you having the slightest inclination of it, until you find that you are ‘wanted’ by the law.

Definition of Identity Theft - The Most Common Cases

1. Creating a new bank account – people often leave lying around a good number of critical information about them. It is easy for people who are close to you to pick up such information and use it to open another bank account in your name. The only difference here is that this new account will be obviously operated by the person who opened it fraudulently. Once this is done, siphoning money from the real account to the fraudulent account will not be too difficult.

2.  Taking over your bank account – it is easy today for others to obtain your financial information through clone internet shopping sites. The original sites will always have displayed a small yellow lock on the right side of the screen, when asking for any type of financial information, which symbolizes that whatever it transacted on this particular page is safely encrypted and cannot be viewed (or stolen) by anyone. 

However, with the help of the technology, the identity thieves create a clone site complete with your merchant account set-ups and all.  The customer pays and obtains a receipt – however, the products ordered for will not be delivered, because someone else had obtained the money.  This is one warning signal, which if followed up immediately, might lead to the culprits at an early date.

3. Conducting fraudulent transactions – as given in the definition of identity theft, any personification for personal gain is a criminal identity theft; this type of fraud happens when someone sets up a fraud merchant account. Here million of people, can come and buy things. When they do so, you along with millions of others, will literally be in their pocket.