Identity theft is a very serious security challenge, as experts believe that these cases occur so often that there is a new victim every 22 seconds. According to identitytheft.org, over 48 million identity theft cases recorded in 2020. This was an increase of 3.3% compared to the cases in 2019. Experts suggest that this problem could collectively cost around $2 billion to owners and providers. With these stated, what really is identity theft? Identity theft happens when a persons personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as name, credit card number, phone number etc are used without their knowledge to commit crime. It has become very attractive to criminals as they it make it easy for them to perpetrate their nefarious activities without the risk of compromising their identities, as the stolen identity is what is typically presented or visible for all to see.
There are quite a number of variants of identity theft, but in this article, we will discuss three common types
- Financial Identity Theft: This type of identity theft occurs when a malicious person steals another person’s personal data for financial benefit. The is a very common type of identity theft as it is easily seen in our world today as it is evident in people’s card details being used to purchase things online and opening bank accounts with people’s personal information.
- Medical Identity Theft: This occurs when a person’s personal information is stolen to access health related services. It might not seem like a serious type of identity theft at first glance, but it becomes more real when medical bills which requires payment pile up.
- Criminal Identity Theft: This occurs when an arrested felon is booked using another person’s name, which might land the original owner inside a serious financial crisis which might have consequences such as court summons, and tainted background check reports
Identity Theft Cases
- Bari Nessel Steals Information from Employees: After applying for a job in 1997, Bari Nessel used the information he was given to steal Linda Foley`s identity, thereby amassing a large amount of credit card debt, and later accused Foley when applying for credit cards and loans. Foley’s theft shows how important it is to keep social security numbers safe
- Gabriel Jimenez’s Identity Gets Stolen: After receiving a letter in 1994 stating that her 12-year-old son’s taxes had been filed, Jeri Marks discovered that an illegal immigrant had stolen her son’s identity. Gabriel Jimenez. His social security number was stolen. To this day, he is still facing a theft problem and is now hoping to get a new social security number to fix the problem.
- Malcolm Byrd Gets Arrested: Malcolm Byrd was sitting at home in 2003 when police officers came to his home and arrested him on a cocaine possession warrant. Though his name was eventually cleared, Byrd learns that a criminal used his name during his arrest. He spent some time in prison before finally being released.
How to prevent Identity Theft
- Guard your personal information jealously
- Do not leave your card unattended and ensure that you don’t share card information with anybody
- Take time to know all third parties you are dealing with and confirm they are who they are
- Review all account statements carefully to ensure that there is no foulplay anywhere
- Secure your email and digital devices at all time and where possible activate two factor authentication
- Ensure all receipts such as ATM receipts are destroyed and securely disposed
- Ensure that all digital devices are secured with the latest patch of endpoint protection
- Ensure that links are not arbitrarily clicked.
- Ensure that you are sure of whatever channels you enter your information online.
- Ensure that you limit the amount of personally identifiable information shared on social media platforms.
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