What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft involves many aspects, but it comes down to the concept of someone taking another person’s name and personal information for illegal activities. The information they are after include your birth date, social security number, address, credit card information, and bank account number. With identity theft, the person who uses that information intentionally plans to scam the rightful owner of such accounts.

To define identity theft, you need to realize it can lead to the person who is victimized also being accused of a crime. There information may be linked to criminal activities including illegal immigration, terrorism, and espionage. These are very serious crimes that you don’t want to find your name and financial records attached to.

In 1996 the Federal Trade Commission recognized identity theft as a serious crime. This was the result of the high number of people who were being victimized in this manner. It is now recognized as the most common form of white collar crimes in the United States.

Some people have their own way to define identity theft. They don’t like the term “identity theft” as they state it is not actually possible to steal someone’s identity. However, it is very possible to exploit individuals by linking their name with various debts that they were not a part of. In this regard, it is depriving the individual of their true identity.

There are many different elements of identity theft, making it hard to conceive all the ploys a criminal might use to gain personal information. Understanding that identity theft exists and taking precautions to protect yourself helps everyone in the battle against identity theft.

One way you can protect your identity is  -

In The News...

News-Democrat - A day after a stolen identity scheme was publicly announced, the governor's and attorney general's offices exchanged blame about an attempt to arrest a former state employee at a state office. A federal indictment handed down May 31 - but not ...

Ledger - KISSIMMEE - Good Samaritan Village has kicked off its inaugural series of education programs for seniors with a seminar on identity theft and fraud - two crimes that often target the elderly. "Older people are very trusting," Carlos Morales, guest ...

Forbes - A federal indictment accuses seven people - including two former state employees - of using the identities of nursing-home residents and others in a scheme to help prison inmates make phone calls. The seven are accused of using Social Security ...

Patriot Ledger - District Court in Boston charged Johnson with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. It specified that the offenses occurred in Plymouth County and elsewhere in the state. Some of the counterfeit checks were cashed in Stop & Shop supermarkets ...

dBusinessNews.com - ... and confidence in individual identities provided by L-1 Identity Solutions, government entities, law enforcement and border management agencies, and commercial enterprises can better guard the public against global terrorism, crime and identity theft ...