The term identity theft, which is stealing and using someone else’s identity, was coined in 1964. It is also known as identity theft, identity fraud, and identity cloning. Identity theft has become more popular in recent years due to the growing popularity of the Internet. Now it’s easier to steal someone else’s identity and now it’s harder to detect identity theft. This makes it even more important to understand what identity theft is and what we can do to protect ourselves.
Identity theft has been around long before the Internet. At first, identity theft usually found the necessary information by going through other people’s trash. Then, shortly after phones were invented, phone scams emerged. Now that there are computers, the Internet, and electronic devices all used to store personal information, identity theft has become the fastest growing crime.
Someone might want to steal another person’s identity to obtain credit, goods, or services at the victim’s expense. This is one of the most common reasons for identity theft. Also, criminals who are hiding from the authorities or someone who wants to hide from creditors can steal someone’s identity so that they themselves can remain anonymous. Also, sometimes people use another identity to obtain medicine or medical services. This may result in errors in the victim’s medical record. Illegal immigrants can steal someone’s identity so that she can live and work within the country.
People who steal someone else’s identity first need to get information about that person. They do this by searching your trash for papers that they may have thrown away that contain personal information. They may also steal your bank cards, passports, ID cards, checks, or other personal belongings, or they may look over someone’s shoulder while they enter your passwords at the ATM or on a public computer. This is known as shoulder surfing. They can also find information on the person’s computer, phone, flash drive, PDA, or other electronic devices. Sometimes they hack into the person’s computer. They can also post fake jobs online and request an application asking for personal information. They might even find some information they can use from what the person has posted on social networking sites.
Fortunately, it is possible to protect yourself against identity theft. Some of the ways to protect yourself include shopping online only from sites you know and trust, getting your mail as soon as possible, and having antivirus and antispyware software installed on your computer. Choose good passwords for all your online accounts, such as emails, auction sites, online banking accounts, and online payment accounts. A good password should have lowercase letters, uppercase letters, and numbers. Depending on the site, they may also allow hyphens, underscores, and other special characters. Also, never give out personal information over the phone, chat rooms, or suspicious websites. Also be careful not to post too much personal information on social networking sites. You also shouldn’t leave papers lying around that contain personal information, such as checks, credit card statements, and bank receipts. If you wish to dispose of such documents, please do not throw them away. Instead, shred them in a paper shredder or burn them.
Even if you take precautions, you could still become a victim of identity theft. If it does, you can report it by calling your bank and credit card companies and filing a report with the police.
