Free Article: Identity Theft

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Identity Theft
By Bill Southgate

Identity theft has been around for a long time but it had not been given a name. It was really first named in the 1990's but had been going on for a long time previously.

I first became aware of a scam involving the use of another persons identity in the early 1980's. I was in the United Kingdom and travelling with a person who wasn't such a great driver. In fact he had lost his driving license many times but continued to drive under other names! The guy was really pleased with himself but he was actually committing the act of identity fraud, furthermore any insurance policy he had would be void and therefore any victim of his driving disasters would find it difficult to get compensation.

My next experience of identity theft was when I started using the Internet. In the early days online security was poor and it was common for your credit cards to be abused. Online banking suffered terrible PR disasters with customers details being stolen regularly. The banks had to defend against data breaches and set about increasing security to fight the criminals and protect the customers details.

Identity Theft Case 1

Even as late as 2001 I witnessed the laziness of the banks attitude to identity theft. At that time I had a credit card with a large, wellknown bank. I was aware of online banking but I was aware of the security threats and the problem of credit card fraud so I decided against using the facility. However, over time, my knowledge of online security increased and I was confident that I would be safe. So I decided to sign up for online banking and started to complete the form. When it came to submitting the form it was reported that I had entered my details incorrectly. I was very alarmed as I had double checked everything. I telephoned the bank who went through the usual security checks but I failed them all. I was now becoming very distressed.

To cut a very long story short, after many telephone calls to the banks fraud department, it transpired that somebody else had registered using my credit card number. Every single detail had been entered incorrectly, even my Social Security Number was incorrect. The fact that a criminal was able to do this was extremely worrying. Luckily I had not lost any cash but it showed that there simply wasn't any online security at the most basic level - and this was 2001.

Today it is rare to be able to commit this type of identity theft as the banks now have forms that must be sent to the home address to be completed by hand and returned before you can have an online banking facility.

Identity Theft and Phishing

It still amazes me that criminals continually profit from the illegal act of identity theft throught the use of phishing sites. Phishing is the act of fraudulently acquiring sensitive information of individuals such as usernames and passwords. The criminal builds a site that looks exactly like a well known and trustworthy site such as PayPal. It will commonly use a domain name that further enhances the appearance of legitimacy such as http://paypal.xxxxxx.com

The site contains the usual log in boxes but the details entered are added to a database for use by criminals to use them illegally to gain access to your account. Enormous amounts of cash are stolen every year through the use of phishing and identity theft.

Prevention

Preventing identity theft is really an easy task. By simply being careful you can avoid most and it is important to develop good habits at the earliest opportunity. Online personal security is the most important aspect of computer use and you must protect yourself.

Software is available such as Norton Internet Security which include many modules, including fraud monitoring for Microsoft Internet Explorer, to identify phishing sites. Buy some today and keep it updated!

Do not share your username and passwords with anyone and ensure your whole family are just as careful.

There are a great many other things you can do to protect yourself online and offline. The articles, listed below, will help you understand the many problems and possible solutions.

Remember knowledge is power and, by increasing your knowledge, you will have the power to prevent the theft of your identity and defeat the criminal.

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Articles about identity theft & personal security which may be reproduced:

• The Consequences Of Identity Theft
• Identity Theft Insurance Can Restore Assets
• Identity Theft Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure
• Identity Theft Phishing With a New Line and Hook
• Identity Theft Protection Is Available for Individuals
• The Most Common Identity Theft Scams
• The Optional Identity Theft Solutions
• How to Define Identity Theft
• Criminal Identity Theft Can Affect Your Life Forever
• Everything That you Should Know About Credit Card Identity Theft
• The History of Identity Theft
• What you Need to Know About Computer Identity Theft
• What you Should Know About the Identity Theft Check
• Why so Many People are Identity Theft Victims
• Everything That you Need to Know About Online Identity Theft
• Tips On How To Prevent Identity Theft
• Internet Identity Theft is a Growing Concern in America Today
• Being Protected By An Identity Theft Shield
• Medical Identity Theft Could Mean Life or Death to Its Victims
• Learning About Restoring Credit Score After Identity Theft
• Identity Theft: Identity Theft of Social Security Number
• Why you Should get Yourself Identity Theft Books
• Common Methods Used to Commit Identity Theft
• What you Should Know About Identity Theft Arrests
• What you Should Know About Identity Theft Awareness
• Identity Theft Resources And Practical Tips
• Why you Should use an Identity Theft Resource Center
• The Need for Identity Theft Restoration
• Identity Theft Programs: Learning to Defend Yourself from Identity Theft
• Identity Theft Statistics Are Shocking
• Identity Theft on Myspace: A Serious Issue
• Identity Theft Website: Knowing Your Rights
• What you Need to Know About Identity Theft Training
• The Increase in Identity Theft Cases
• Tips On Safeguarding Personal Data Through An Identity Theft Blog
• Identity Theft is No Laughing Matter
• Identity Theft Worksheets Are a Tool for Protection
• What you Need to Know About the Statistics on Identity Theft
• What you Should Know About Identity Theft Canada
• How to Avoid Identity Theft in Illinois
• Identity Theft: Unlawfully Acquiring another's Means of Identification
• You Can Avoid Identity Theft
• Commercial Identity Theft Can Be Reduced
• Everything You Need To Know About Computer Identity Theft
• Credit Card Identity Theft: Not So Impossible
• Guide to Preventing Credit Identity Theft
• What Is Criminal Identity Theft? How It Differs From Identity Theft?
• There's A Need to Define Identity Theft to Help Combat this Kind Of Crime
• Are You Looking For A Definition Of Identity Theft?
• Fight Identity Theft: Stop Them Before They Find You
• FTC Identity Theft: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft
• History of Identity Theft – A Few Insights on How It All Started
• Identity theft and fraud: a Rising Criminal Trend
• Identity Theft Attorney: One Who Understands the Complexities of Law
• Identity Theft Cases, the Solution
• Identity Theft Facts: How Do They Apply To You?
• Identity Theft Help Is Available To You
• The Most Important Identity Theft Information
• Identity Theft Insurance: What Does It Really Mean?
• Identity Theft Law Can Protect Future Credit
• How Can an Identity Theft Lawyer Help You Get Your Life Back
• Identity Theft Prevention Tip: Follow the Tips and Be Theft-Free
• Identity Theft Protection: Take Measures to Detour Would-Be Thieves
• Identify Theft Resources, Where to Look for Help
• Getting Help from the Identity Theft Resource Center
• Identity Theft Shield Slows Theft Intrusions
• Identity Theft Solution: Getting Professional Help
• Identity Theft Statistics: Alarming Figures That Reveal Epidemic-Like Conditions
• Sharing Your Identity Theft Story
• Identity Theft Victim: What to Do In Case You Become a Victim
• Opportunity Of Internet Identity Theft Can Be Reduced
• Medical Identity Theft and the Harm That It Can Cause You
• Online Identity Theft Occurs Almost Daily
• A Few Steps That Need To Be Taken To Prevent Identity Theft
• Preventing Identity Theft: Know How Thieves Operate and Guard against Those Possibilities
• Guide to Protection from Identity Theft
• Report Identity Theft: Alert Concerned Agencies to Apprehend the Culprits
• Social Security Identity Theft: Don't Become A Victim!
• Easy Steps to Stop Identity Theft
• Different Types of Identity Theft

See also: Home Security