Identity theft is defined as “The crime of obtaining the personal or financial information of another person for the sole purpose of assuming that person's name or identity in order to make transactions or purchases” (Definition). It is one of those things that people believe could never happen to them. They don’t think it’s that big of a deal and then become careless when it comes to sharing personal information on and offline and when they are online shopping. However, identity theft is a very serious and very real thing that affects approximately 12,157,400 Americans annually (Identity Theft). The next few paragraphs will discuss how an identity can be stolen, how an individual should take action if they believe their identity has been stolen,
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Approximately 65% of identity thefts are attributed to the misuse of credit cards (Identity Theft). When someone steals your credit card it is referred to as credit card fraud. The person behind the theft can use the information on your card to make unauthorized purchases and, even more seriously, open accounts and take out loans in your name. Having your checkbook stolen is also a way to have your identity stolen. Your checkbook has all the information someone needs to access your bank account and other personal information. Another way your identity can be stolen is by someone getting their hands on your SIM card, your phones memory chip. The thief can copy the information from your phone and use it to make “free” phone calls which you will end up having to pay for. A new and terrifying way someone can steal your information is through something called visual hacking. This is when they hack into your computer and monitor the screen. This way they can gather any personal information that you enter into your computer and can do whatever they want with it. In every one of these situations you can be terribly hurt and you need to know how to protect …show more content…
First of all it is very important to check your bank statements regularly and catch any abnormal behaviors such as unauthorized withdrawals or charges. Another way you can tell something is wrong is when you get calls from debt collectors about debt that is not yours. An additional sign that someone is using your information is when you get medical bills for services you did not receive. There are also ways of figuring out that your child’s identity has been stolen, without having to constantly check their records. One way of figuring it out is when your child starts receiving suspicious mail normally targeted at adults. Another way you will figure it out is when your application for a financial account for them gets declined for poor credit history. If you think you or your child has had their identity stolen there are several steps you can take to fight it. The first step to take would be to put a fraud alert of your credit report. This tells lenders and creditors that extra steps need to be taken to verify identity. You can also file an identity theft repost with the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, and they will let you know exactly what steps need to be taken for your specific case (Rotter). You should also file a Police Report which goes along with the identity theft report you filed with the
Approximately 65% of identity thefts are attributed to the misuse of credit cards (Identity Theft). When someone steals your credit card it is referred to as credit card fraud. The person behind the theft can use the information on your card to make unauthorized purchases and, even more seriously, open accounts and take out loans in your name. Having your checkbook stolen is also a way to have your identity stolen. Your checkbook has all the information someone needs to access your bank account and other personal information. Another way your identity can be stolen is by someone getting their hands on your SIM card, your phones memory chip. The thief can copy the information from your phone and use it to make “free” phone calls which you will end up having to pay for. A new and terrifying way someone can steal your information is through something called visual hacking. This is when they hack into your computer and monitor the screen. This way they can gather any personal information that you enter into your computer and can do whatever they want with it. In every one of these situations you can be terribly hurt and you need to know how to protect …show more content…
First of all it is very important to check your bank statements regularly and catch any abnormal behaviors such as unauthorized withdrawals or charges. Another way you can tell something is wrong is when you get calls from debt collectors about debt that is not yours. An additional sign that someone is using your information is when you get medical bills for services you did not receive. There are also ways of figuring out that your child’s identity has been stolen, without having to constantly check their records. One way of figuring it out is when your child starts receiving suspicious mail normally targeted at adults. Another way you will figure it out is when your application for a financial account for them gets declined for poor credit history. If you think you or your child has had their identity stolen there are several steps you can take to fight it. The first step to take would be to put a fraud alert of your credit report. This tells lenders and creditors that extra steps need to be taken to verify identity. You can also file an identity theft repost with the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, and they will let you know exactly what steps need to be taken for your specific case (Rotter). You should also file a Police Report which goes along with the identity theft report you filed with the