Online Identity Theft
Online Identity Theft; Are You Susceptible?
COMP 129
October 10, 2013
Identity Theft as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary is the illegal use of someone else’s personal information in order to get money or credit. Before the widespread use of personal information on the internet the main source for identity theft was through dumpster diving. This meant rummaging through peoples trash looking for bills or other personal information. However with the rise of the internet; online identity theft has grown to become commonplace in our world today. By simply opening e-mails or down loading items off the internet you can be exposed to viruses that can have …show more content…
There are many useful tactics to find out if you have been a victim of identity theft. The most useful tactic is to order your free credit report from the three major credit bureaus; Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. Each of the credit rating companies will give you a free credit rating report throughout the year. That means you can get a free credit rating every four months throughout the year. Simply checking your bank statements each month will allow you track your expenditures and to see any anomaly’s. There are also more prevalent ways to know if your identity has been stolen. Debt collectors may begin to call and leave voice mails asking for money you have never spent. Mail may start going missing such as bills if someone has changed your billing address. Identity thieves commonly do this so theirEqu victims do not see the expenditures they are placing in their names. A serious realization of identity theft may come when you find out you have a warrant out for your arrest. Someone could have committed a crime in your name and it would be unknown to you until you have pulled over and then arrested. This is serious inconvenience for you can have major …show more content…
The most common immediate effect will be money. Unless you have an insurance policy such as Life-Lock or you have the proper paper work to clear the charges from your name; you will have to front the bill. Depending on how long the person had your identity the bill can be only a few hundred to thousands of dollars. This means that a person you have probably never encountered has just stolen your life savings. Medical insurance can also be affected through identity theft. If someone had a procedure in your name and you go for the same or similar procedure you may not be covered. This requires more of your time and energy to settle through more paper work and headaches. The worst-case scenario as I said earlier would be if someone used your name to committee a crime and got away with it. This results in a arrest warrant in your name for a crime you did not commit. Imagine being pulled over for a simple speeding ticket and to then be arrested for a crime in another state or country you have never been to. The process of clearing your name will take an unknown amount of time and you would have a criminal record for the time being. This immediately makes finding a job or applying for loans extremely difficult. These are just some of the many unimaginable penalties for being a victim of a
COMP 129
October 10, 2013
Identity Theft as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary is the illegal use of someone else’s personal information in order to get money or credit. Before the widespread use of personal information on the internet the main source for identity theft was through dumpster diving. This meant rummaging through peoples trash looking for bills or other personal information. However with the rise of the internet; online identity theft has grown to become commonplace in our world today. By simply opening e-mails or down loading items off the internet you can be exposed to viruses that can have …show more content…
There are many useful tactics to find out if you have been a victim of identity theft. The most useful tactic is to order your free credit report from the three major credit bureaus; Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. Each of the credit rating companies will give you a free credit rating report throughout the year. That means you can get a free credit rating every four months throughout the year. Simply checking your bank statements each month will allow you track your expenditures and to see any anomaly’s. There are also more prevalent ways to know if your identity has been stolen. Debt collectors may begin to call and leave voice mails asking for money you have never spent. Mail may start going missing such as bills if someone has changed your billing address. Identity thieves commonly do this so theirEqu victims do not see the expenditures they are placing in their names. A serious realization of identity theft may come when you find out you have a warrant out for your arrest. Someone could have committed a crime in your name and it would be unknown to you until you have pulled over and then arrested. This is serious inconvenience for you can have major …show more content…
The most common immediate effect will be money. Unless you have an insurance policy such as Life-Lock or you have the proper paper work to clear the charges from your name; you will have to front the bill. Depending on how long the person had your identity the bill can be only a few hundred to thousands of dollars. This means that a person you have probably never encountered has just stolen your life savings. Medical insurance can also be affected through identity theft. If someone had a procedure in your name and you go for the same or similar procedure you may not be covered. This requires more of your time and energy to settle through more paper work and headaches. The worst-case scenario as I said earlier would be if someone used your name to committee a crime and got away with it. This results in a arrest warrant in your name for a crime you did not commit. Imagine being pulled over for a simple speeding ticket and to then be arrested for a crime in another state or country you have never been to. The process of clearing your name will take an unknown amount of time and you would have a criminal record for the time being. This immediately makes finding a job or applying for loans extremely difficult. These are just some of the many unimaginable penalties for being a victim of a