Identity Theft - Literature review Example

Topic: Identity theft Introduction In the present society, various crimes have become common but there is a white-collar crime that has continues to rise in popularity among the people bent on breaking the law (Gerber & Jensen, 2007). identity theft is a crime that results in people in their thousand having their identities used for criminal purpose every year. This form of theft involves the criminals obtaining and using the personal information of different people like their credit card data, bank account details and insurance information as well as social security numbers to make purchases of goods and/or services in a fraudulent manner without the consent of the owners. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that more than 1.1 million people have at one time or another been fallen victim to identity theft and based on this number, it becomes clear that identity theft is among the most rapidly growing crimes in the United States. This paper will seek to provide a comprehensive definition of identity theft, the instances where it takes place and how to avoid it. Definition of identity theft Identity theft is considered as a criminal offence, with identity theft as well as identity fraud being terms that are used in reference to all the forms of crime that involve a person unlawfully obtaining and using another individual’s personal information in a manner that may involve fraud or deception particularly for economic gains (Sullivan, 2011). Therefore, people are supposed to make sure they have precaution in place that will assist them in protecting themselves against this form of crimes. Different to finger prints which are unique to different individuals and cannot be used by more than one person, personal data such as social security number, bank account number or credit card number as well as other important identification data can be used in to fraudulently benefit other people in the event that they are accessed by the wrong people. For instance, in the US and Canada, numerous people have made reports of unauthorized people taking funds from their banks or financial accounts and even in some extreme cases, totally taking over they identity, incurring huge debts and committing criminal acts while assuming the identity of the victim. In majority of the cases, the victims suffers losses that are much more than the amounts lost in the fraud as he or she has to incur more costs in trying to restore the tanned reputation in the community and the correction of incorrect information generated by the criminals (Pollock, 2012). In a notorious instance of identity theft, the offender who was a previously convicted felon incurred a credit card debt of more than one hundred thousand dollars, got a federal home loan and purchased various thing including houses, motorbikes and handguns with the victims personal information. In the process of doing, he called the victim to insult him while stating that he had the capacity to continue with his activities since at the time of his actions identity theft was considered as a federal offence. The identity thief consequently went on to file for insolvency with the identification information he had assumed. The victims together with his family took almost five years and spent more than fifteen thousand dollars attempting to clear their name and reputation while the criminal was given a brief sentence for making false statements to procure firearms. This sentence did not make any compensation to the victim to the harm that he has suffered and this case and numerous others impelled Congress to make identity a federal offence in 1998 (Girard, 2011). How identity crime is committed Numerous people have no idea of the ease with which criminals can obtain their personal data without necessarily breaking into their homes(Biegelman, 2013). For instance, in public places criminals may employ ‘shoulder surfing’ where they observe a victim from a nearby point as the victim types in his telephone calling card number or credit card number(Mitic, 2009). They may also listen keenly and carefully as the potential victim gives his or her credit card number through the telephone to various businesses such as hotels and car rental companies. Additionally, there areas near the office or the home may not be completely secure as some criminals participate in “dumpster diving” which involves rummaging through garbage bins or trash cans to get copies of people’s checks as well as credit card or bank statements that bear the name of the potential victim or their telephone numbers (Wilson, 2007). These documents make it simpler for the fraudsters to gain access to the victims’ financial records using their names and take over their identity. When an individual gets applications for “preapproved” credit cards through their mail and decide to throw them away without destroying the materials that are enclosed inside, there are chances that they may be retrieved by criminals who will attempt to activate the cards so that they can use them without the victim being aware. A number of the credit card companies when sending their credit cards, have decided to adopt security measures that ensure that the card can only be activated through using the home telephone number of the customer but this has not yet become a commonplace practice. Mail that is delivered in the areas that other people can access is also highly susceptible to being intercepted by the criminals who may also redirect it to a different address. In the past few decades, the World Wide Web has developed into an attractive place for lawbreakers to get identification data of their victims including passcodess as well as banking data(Yuzer & Kurubacak, 2010). Most people in their excitement to discover different thrilling aspects of the internet respond to “spam” emails, which promise benefits while requesting identification data, even though these emails are unsolicited (Siegel & Worrall, 2013). In majority of the instances, the person that requests for this information has no intentions of keeping the promise and this has allowed criminals through computer technology, to acquire huge amounts of personal data from unsuspecting victims. Once the criminals have obtained sufficient information that identifies an individual, the criminal has the ability to completely take over the identity of that individual and commit an assortment of crimes including applying for loans and credit cards (Dempsey, 2011). The criminals may also decide to withdraw money from the victim’s accounts as well as purchase goods and obtain privileges that they would otherwise be denied if they were using their real names. In the event that the criminal is careful, enough to make sure that the bills associated with the deceptively acquired credit cards or bank statements that display the illegal withdrawals are sent to a different address and not the victims address, then there is a possibility that the victim might not know what is happening. The victim may only become aware of the happenings after the criminal has already caused significant and potential irreparable damage on the assets of the victim, his credit as well as his reputation. Avoiding identity theft In order to decrease and minimize the risks of falling victim to identity theft or fraud associated with this offence, essential steps must be taken every individual. To begin with, people should make sure they guard their personal information jealously and avoid sharing it with other people unless there are genuine reasons for the people being given the information to be trusted and individuals should develop a “need to know” approach to their personal information. In most of the cases, an individual’s credit card company may have specific information that is personal to the individual so that it can use it during the verification of the person’s identity when they call to make enquiries concerning their accounts (Sileo, 2013). If an individual is called by a person purporting to be for their bank but has no knowledge of the information that already exists in the banks file, there are such chances that the person making the call is seeking to obtain personal information for their own benefit. Additionally, people should avoid printing too much information, like their Social Security number and telephone numbers, on their personal checks as this means that criminals will have an easy time obtaining personal information if they access these checks. Individuals should also remain vigilant and watch out for people calling to giving offers of major credit cards or prizes while at the same time asking for personal data like Social Security numbers and credit card numbers as well as their dates of expiry. In situations like this, the callers should be asked to send a written application form so that they legitimacy can be confirmed. If the person who was calling is an identity thief, chances are they will disconnect the call and will not send the written application. On the other hand, if the written application form is sent, it is important to review the form carefully and ensure that the company it came from is a respectable financial institution that is distinguished. When travelling, it is important to make arrangement to have one’s mail held up at their local post office or have a trustworthy person such as a family member collect the mail in the duration that the one will be away. In the event that personal information like financial information has to be passed on the telephone when an individual is travelling, he should make sure that he does not use and open telephone booth where people in the vicinity can hear the details of the conversation and make calls in areas that are less crowded. Financial information should also be checked on a regular basis in order to identify any anomalies that may arise from different quarters. People with credit cards or bank accounts should make sure that they have received their bills or financial statements every month with a list of the transactions they conducted for the period of reporting. If the monthly bill or statements of accounts are not received at the end of the month or the reporting period, it is important to contact the bank or financial institution immediately and make enquiries about it (Ledford, 2005). It the bank has been sending the statements to an address that is different to the one that was provided initially and authorized, the financial institution should be informed immediately that there was not authorized address change and there is the possibility that a different person is operating the accounts. In such a situation, copies of all the transactions should be obtained from the bank detailing the debit and charge transactions that have taken place since the last time the statements were received. Getting this copies will be important is assisting to cooperate with the bank or the credit card company to determine if the debit or charge transactions have been fraudulent in nature. Conclusion Identity theft has common problem that affects almost eight million individuals every year where a common scenario involves the offender obtaining or buying the personal identification information of a victim from acquaintances or employees of agencies with access to this form of information. The criminal will then use this information for the acquisition or production of more documents that are related to the identity of an individual like driver’s license as well as identification cards that will allow him to make checks and order for newer credit cards. Similar to most of the offenders, identity thieves are usually driven by the greed for monetary gain and for a section of these offenders, the need for money is further pushed by a will to maintain a specific lifestyle that they cannot afford. However, there are those who use the money they get from their crimes to pay for their rent and other utilities. References Biegelman, M. (2013). Identity theft handbook. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Dempsey, J. (2011). Introduction to private security. Australia: Wadsworth. Gerber, J., & Jensen, E. (2007). Encyclopedia of white-collar crime. Westport. Conn.: Greenwood Press. Girard, J. (2011). Criminalistics. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Ledford, J. (2005). The rational guide to preventing identity theft. Rollinsford, NH: Rational Press. Mitic, S. (2009). Stopping identity theft. Berkeley, Calif.: Nolo. Pollock, J. (2012). Crime and justice in America. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Siegel, L., & Worrall, J. (2013). Essentials of criminal justice. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Sileo, J. (2013). Privacy means profit. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Sullivan, C. (2011). Digital identity, an emergent legal concept. Adelaide: University of Adelaide Press. Wilson, M. (2007). Frequently asked questions about identity theft. New York: Rosen Pub. Yuzer, T., & Kurubacak, G. (2010). Transformative learning and online education. 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