Stop Identity Theft Essay

Stop Identity Theft

My mom, who is conscious about her finances, was a victim of identity theft, but in a minor way. Someone got a hold of her credit card information, and used it to buy Net Flics movies and other things she did not authorize. This problem was solved immediately. The charges were reversed, and my mom got herself a new card. Identity theft is a problem. It is the act of stealing one’s information, such as credit card numbers. It can go beyond credit cards, however. Criminals can steal social security numbers, medical information, information on taxes, and others. Identity theft is one of the problems in America. Every year, about 15 million people in the U.S. have their identity stolen. (identitytheft.info) Some people do

In a CBS News article, medical information was stolen from a woman named Anndorie Sachs. The suspect was able to take her driver's license, and thus used the victim's name to give birth. (Protect Against Medical ID Theft) The problem with this is that one cannot simply clear a theft of medical information. In this case, the victim was notified that her apparent newborn was "tested positive for illegal drugs." Because of this, the woman was treated as if she were the one who had the newborn and the one who took the apparent illegal drugs. Simple measures could have been done to prevent such problem, such as knowing what health benefits the person has every year. What are the effects of one's stolen identity? If the suspect has opened accounts under a victim's name, several things can happen. Depending on what the suspect does, the victim could be treated as if he performed the illegal activity himself when it was someone who stole the personal information. This treatment can include losing a job, are unable to apply for, or use credit cards, or be investigated for a crime, etc. Because of this problem, the victim has to prove that he did not perform the