“In 2004, the government passed the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, which increased the severity of the punishment for identity theft crimes” (Crimes, 2006-2014). It brings a sense of relief to know that the criminals get what they truly deserve. Identity Theft is truly a selfish crime and the perpetrators should be penalized accordingly. According to the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, “The prison sentence for identity theft starts at up to five years, plus two more years for using the stolen identity in another crime. The prison sentence grows from there, depending on how many related crimes were committed” (Crimes, 2006-2014).
Identity Theft Schemes and Methods There are many different types of schemes and methods that identity …show more content…
After they’ve itemized every bill and have made payments to all they owe, they toss their bills and do not want to see them anymore. Bills may contain critical personal information such as their name, address, credit card and bank account numbers. After those bills are tossed, the information can get into the hands of dumpster diving perpetrators. Dumpster diving is exactly what is sounds like. “Dumpster diving occurs when someone goes through someone else’s garbage to obtain personal identifiable information off items found in the trash, such as credit card bills, utility bills, medical insurance, and bank statements” (Most Common Schemes, 2009). To prevent becoming victim to identity theft because of dumpster diving, shred everything. This way, the perpetrators will be unable to obtain valuable information. Another method would be to go paperless (Most Common Schemes, 2009). …show more content…
The thief performs this scheme by contacting the individual over the phone. While on the phone, the perpetrator acts as though they may be affiliated with a prestigious financial company. Their goal is to obtain the individuals personal information. Another variation of vishing is using robo-calls also known as pre-recorded messages urging the individual to contact a certain phone number. The recording typically states that the individual either won a prize, or an emergency has occurred that requires disclosing personal identifiable information (Most Common Schemes, 2009). If an individual suspects that they have been victim to vishing, they should “look up the company information on the Internet using the call-back number on the caller ID through a reverse telephone search” (Most Common Schemes, 2009). The author has experienced vishing on several occasions and is always suspicious when she receives calls from unknown numbers. She is well aware of the schemes taking place and takes the necessary precautions to ensure that the perpetrators do not obtain her personal
Identity Theft Schemes and Methods There are many different types of schemes and methods that identity …show more content…
After they’ve itemized every bill and have made payments to all they owe, they toss their bills and do not want to see them anymore. Bills may contain critical personal information such as their name, address, credit card and bank account numbers. After those bills are tossed, the information can get into the hands of dumpster diving perpetrators. Dumpster diving is exactly what is sounds like. “Dumpster diving occurs when someone goes through someone else’s garbage to obtain personal identifiable information off items found in the trash, such as credit card bills, utility bills, medical insurance, and bank statements” (Most Common Schemes, 2009). To prevent becoming victim to identity theft because of dumpster diving, shred everything. This way, the perpetrators will be unable to obtain valuable information. Another method would be to go paperless (Most Common Schemes, 2009). …show more content…
The thief performs this scheme by contacting the individual over the phone. While on the phone, the perpetrator acts as though they may be affiliated with a prestigious financial company. Their goal is to obtain the individuals personal information. Another variation of vishing is using robo-calls also known as pre-recorded messages urging the individual to contact a certain phone number. The recording typically states that the individual either won a prize, or an emergency has occurred that requires disclosing personal identifiable information (Most Common Schemes, 2009). If an individual suspects that they have been victim to vishing, they should “look up the company information on the Internet using the call-back number on the caller ID through a reverse telephone search” (Most Common Schemes, 2009). The author has experienced vishing on several occasions and is always suspicious when she receives calls from unknown numbers. She is well aware of the schemes taking place and takes the necessary precautions to ensure that the perpetrators do not obtain her personal