Identity Theft Research Paper

Identity Theft

IFSM

Teddy Hughes

April 29, 2017 Identity theft and identity fraud is an illegal act with the intention of obtaining another person identity for criminal or monetary gain (www.justice.gov). The emergence of the Internet is allowing consumers to become more vulnerable to becoming victims of identity theft, (Saunders 1998). To the perpetrator their mindset is that this is a victimless crime. Nobody is getting killed, nobody is getting hurt or raped, but in fact identity theft can have a major financial setback for both the victim and the economy.

Identity theft is one of the illegal activities to prevent as well as prosecute. Majority of identity theft revolves around the internet. The suspect can be the nice kid from next

Identity theft not only have financial toll on the victim, but also can have emotional distress on the victim as well. It is instilled in us that if something sounds too good to be true, then mostly likely it is too good. Another example can be not realizing how simple or reckless we are being with our systems log in formation. For example, having the same passwords for our online banking, credit cards, electronic devices, etc. Technology is so advanced that there is people in our society that is smart enough to be able to crack or break into the strongest security protected systems. On the dark net where a lot of illicit activities happens on the internet these people are making profits off ordinary citizen’s personal information that is being on the world-wide

Thieves have come up with ways to install credit card readers within the credit card processor machine to get the information needed to steal and sell personal information. Deceased people are also becoming identity theft victims from the grave. You take a person from a financial type of institution, take the deceased individual personal information towards a loan on a home, vehicle or other type of high volume purchases. It is not just the thieves that are contributing to the rise of online identity theft. Employees who work in certain jobs/ industries who have access to consumer’s personal information are selling the information that is in their possession to the highest bidder. Since these types of transaction and activity is difficult to trace, that make it even harder for law enforcement agencies to go after these individuals.

Anderson, J. P. (1972). Computer Security Technology Planning Study. Volume 2. Anderson (James P) and Co Fort Washington PA.

Lampson, B. W. (2004). Computer security in the real world. Computer, 37(6), 37-46.

Saunders, K. M., & Zucker, B. (1999). Counteracting identity fraud in the information age: The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act. International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, 13(2), 183-192

What are Identity Theft and Identity Fraud? Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/identity-theft-and-identity-fraud. Accessed